Demonology is an Art
by L.Lawliet13
Summary: ((Temporarily On Hold - due to writer's block)) Slight AU Sebastian is a freelance artist with a past he knows nothing about, when Claude finds him and commissions him to do a painting of Earl Trancy, the unwitting artist may just be drawn into a world of demons, angels and shinigami. A world he fits into, he just hasn't realised it yet.
1. The Butler, Meeting

**This is my first Black Butler fan-fiction, I have a lot of plans for it so I hope it will entertain you all as I write it. This first chapter is probably a little dull and mundane but regrettable it was a necessary evil so that we could get into the plot that is to come.**

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist. (*Grin* of course... This is subject to change as the plot develops).**

**All that is left to say is, I hope you enjoy and please review :)**

**Chapter One –**

Humans were so utterly boring. They never changed anything in their lives, down to the way they treated each other, the way they behaved and the way that they lived their lives. Yes, utterly boring.

At least that was what Claude had believed until he had walked through the park on this particular day, when he had taken leave of his young Master's side to go out and collect the ingredients for the next week's meals.

He had been in his usual contemplative mood, striding confidently through the parkland with the tails of his butler attire fluttering behind him in the brisk breeze.

He paused his hasty walk as he saw a young male seated under a tree just off the beaten track; he had his knees drawn loosely up toward his chest and a sketch book placed on his lap.

Claude cast his eyes over the young man; how his slinky black locks of hair half shrouded the pale skin of his face and his complexion was completely perfect; without a single blemish. There was a faint scowl marring his delicate features as he pursed his lips in a firm line of exasperation.

He tilted his head as he watched the other's amber-red eyes narrow on whatever it was he was sketching into the book. The butler watched with curiosity as the other's long but perfectly proportioned nose wrinkled slightly in distaste, followed shortly by several vigorous scrubs with an eraser.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Claude set aside his plans of shopping for Earl Trancy's pantry, opting to stride off of the path and approach the artist.

"Excuse me." He greeted politely, it was never appropriate to forget one's manners, even more so considering he was a butler to an influential teenager.

The dark haired male continued drawing for a moment before he seemed to realise that it was _him_ whom was being addressed; he looked up and blinked at the towering figure above him, "Good evening." He replied with equal etiquette.

"May I enquire as to what you may be drawing so advantageously?"

"O-oh..." the younger man faltered for a moment before he nodded, tucking his pencil behind his ear and handing his sketchbook up to the stranger, "My name is Sebastian, by the way."

"Claude." He answered as he took the book and studied the drawing with his hawk like eyes.

Sebastian sat for several moments, watching his new acquaintance look through his book with an expressionless mask. He fidgeted slightly, feeling uncomfortable at how his work was being scrutinised by such an eagle eye.

"These... Are most impressive, Sebastian." Claude finally concluded with a faint twitch of a smile as he handed the book back to him, "I wonder... Do you take commissions?"

"Thank you." He smiled in relief, before blinking in shock, "C-commissions?"

"Yes... You see I work as the head butler in an influential household in the district, and it is coming upon the time for my master to have his portrait painted... I have been searching for a few months for an artist worthy of the job. If you would accept you would be well paid for your time and work? And of course while you were working you would be most welcome to stay in the mansion, as I have no doubt a perfectionist such as yourself would take several days to complete such a piece of work."

Sebastian gawped at him as he spoke, a band of pale pink stretching over the bridge of his nose and his cheeks as he was so aptly described as a perfectionist. He looked down at his sketchbook before looking back up at the man before him, "I... I don't know what to say."

"Then agree to my proposal."

Well that was simple... Sebastian hesitated for a moment before he smiled hesitantly and accepted the offer. He got to his feet, putting his possessions back into his bag and hefting it over his shoulder, "When would you like me to begin this commission?" he questioned after a moment of utter silence.

"We may begin immediately if you have nothing else to be doing." The other replied, "I must collect supplies for the pantry before returning to the estate but you may accompany me if you wish before I take you there."

The artist complied and several minutes later they were walking around the market side by side, Claude was inspecting the supply list and Sebastian was feeling a little out classed, seeing so many noblemen and women around, even the butler beside him was well presented. And yet here he was in loose fitting trousers and a hand-me-down white shirt. Damn did he feel out of place or what?

"You look uncomfortable." Claude commented as he gazed at the younger man from the corner of his eye.

"Uh... Well kind of..." he sighed, "Everyone else here is... Well... Noble. I feel rather outclassed..."

"And yet your talent precedes those of these money hoarding folk who think nothing of belittling each other behind their backs and smiling so warmly to their faces." Claude offered a rare smile to him, "Trust me... Your clothes may be less formal and expensive than those worn by the people here but you could easily be one of them. Your looks are not those of an average working class male, you could fit in nicely with the higher society. All you would need was the clothing, and that isn't much to be honest with you. These expensive materials are somewhat itchy."

Sebastian let out a laugh, he smiled and ran a hand through his ink black locks, "That is certainly one way to put it I suppose... And I feel better for your words." He chuckled again, "But I could never be one of these people."

Curiosity prodded the butler, he wanted to know why the young man thought this but he didn't wish to pry into business which wasn't his. Apparently his new acquaintance noticed his curiosity on his face and smiled slightly.

"I was born into the higher society. My parents were nobility but I was disinterested in the politics of it all." He shrugged, "It is a far simpler life to be like this, less complex with matters of state and money. As a working class man I can become what I want to be rather than what my parents and peers decide. Art has always been my passion."

Claude was amazed by the level-headedness of this man, he wished his master could be the same instead of the spoilt brat he was, not that he would ever say as much, his soul was still fit to be devoured...

"So you left the higher class?" he asked, "Do you not miss any of it?"

"No... I was disinherited actually." He shrugged again, "My father believed me to be a disgrace after... A certain incident. And I was thrown from the family."

"I apologise if I was out of place."

"Not at all... It doesn't bother me. It simply means that I can live my life as I choose rather than having it all dictated to me by someone who only pretends to care as a preface rather than showing what they actually feel. Which in my father's case was often loathing."

"Loathing?" he repeated.

"Indeed..." Sebastian picked up an armful of onions from the stall as Claude paid the man, "My father was an unkind man who did not deserve the family that he had. I had an elder brother and sister, both of whom he adored. It was just me that he hated."

"But... Why?"

"I don't know for certain. Perhaps it was my carefree attitude or the way I never seemed to bend to his will. That and I was a bastard child, my mother had an affair with another man, she would never say who it was but I was the result and I don't think he ever forgave her for betraying him how she did... Even if he had it coming." He looked up the butler, "Either way he was always looking for an excuse to get rid of me."

"That seems... Cruel."

"Sticks and stones. Sticks and stones." He replied.

They shopped in silence for the most part after that, gathering the supplies from the list Claude had. The butler couldn't quite stop himself taking sideways glances at the man, he was... Unusual as humans go.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was something different about him, his appearance wasn't quite right. He was almost too perfect for a human. Claude wondered momentarily if the whole story about his past and his family had been a lie, maybe the young man was one of these _Angels_ that had been appearing in London of late. Angela and Ash, he had heard rumours about those two but he wasn't sure what to believe.

"You are staring, Claude." Sebastian waved a hand in front of the butler's face, "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh yes I am fine thank you." He replied, checking the list a final time, "I believe I am finished now."

"Oh good! These bags are a little heavy." The artist laughed as he lugged half the bags with him while Claude carried the other half.

"I agree... Usually another of the household servants would be waiting with the carriage but one of the wheels was damaged in the storm the other night and is being repaired."

"So they sent the muscle man out to do the shopping?"

Claude blinked for a moment before letting loose a small chuckle of amusement at the comment, "I suppose you could say that, yes."

Sebastian smiled as he heard the other man laugh, he seemed far too serious most of the time, stoic eyes half hidden behind square rimmed glasses, it was good to hear him lighten up a bit.

"I shall escort you back to the mansion, we can see there if you still wish to accept the commission."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Mm... The master can be somewhat difficult at times. To be perfectly honest I wouldn't b at all surprised if you took one look at him and ran a mile."

"Is it entirely proper for a butler to speak as such about his master?"

"Not at all." He smirked slightly.

"I see... Well your secret is safe with me." He smiled, slightly resembling a contented cat while he did so.

Claude stared for a moment, why did this young human man look so familiar when he smiled? He was certain he had seen that smile somewhere before...

Heading back through the park where they had met, the two men spoke of trivial things to pass the time. Although Claude was not usually one for making small talk he found it most enjoyable in Sebastian's company. In fact, he found Sebastian's company most enjoyable too...

This human truly was different, and not at all boring.

When they arrived at the mansion, Sebastian stared at the sumptuousness of the building. It was truly a marvel. And hard to believe that there were so few residents for such an enormous palace.

"It is somewhat... Boisterous is it not?" Claude offered as they walked down the drive way.

Sebastian glanced at him and then back at the mansion, "Umm... Well it is certainly... Huge..."

"Earl Alois Trancy doesn't do things by half." He agreed with an inward sigh, wondering for the millionth time if the impetuous boy's soul was really worth all the effort.

"I... I can see that... I can definitely see that."

Heading up the steps and into the foyer, Sebastian's eyes were about ready to pop out of his head. He looked around with widened eyes, hardly believing how so much decoration and class could be shown in just a single room. Golden and cream walls, ornate furniture and the biggest chandelier he had _ever_ clapped eyes upon.

His senses were thrown off abruptly when he felt something crawling over his shoulder; paling dramatically as he saw a spider. He let out something between whimper and a groan of fear.

Claude looked around as he heard the sound and chuckled, he set down a couple of the bags and reached out, watching the eight legged critter to step onto his hand, "Afraid of spiders?"

"Terrified." He confirmed with a tremble.

"Don't worry... I won't allow a single one to harm you."

Sebastian felt that the statement seemed strange; at first he thought the man was mocking him but he saw the truth of the statement in his sunshine yellow eyes. There was something strange with this house...

Claude put the spider out and shut the door, "If you follow me we can drop these bags off in the kitchen, one of the other servants will see to putting them away."

He nodded in agreement and followed him as they walked through the corridor; he was unable to stop himself looking around with interest, "This is certainly a very wealthy decorated building." He murmured.

"Yes... The current Earl has somewhat spectacular tastes." The butler chortled to himself and pushed open the door to the kitchen with his foot. He held it open for the younger man and watched him totter through.

He licked his lips as he observed the young man stretching to set the bags on the pine island in the centre of the room, tipping his head slightly as he watched how his slightly loose trousers tightened as the he leaned.

Quickly gathering his thoughts before he was caught, he walked over and set his own bags down as well. He clapped his hands twice, "Hannah." He called.

Sebastian looked around as they were graced by the presence of another of the servants, a woman with long grey-white hair which was braided down her back, one of her eyes was bandaged over but the other was a dark blue colour and she seemed to bore into Sebastian's very soul.

"Hannah, this is Sebastian." Claude murmured, "He is an artist, hopefully he will be doing the commission for our master."

The woman looked at the butler and nodded before hastening over to the bags and pottering around, putting the food away in the pantry and cupboards, "He has been restless since you left this morning, Claude. Please try to calm him as soon as you can."

"Of course." He sighed inwardly, once again wishing his master wasn't such a brat.

He looked at Sebastian and smiled faintly, "Please come with me, I will introduce you to the Earl."

He nodded and smiled at the maid before allowing himself to be lead out by the butler.

He easily lost track of how many room they passed, he was certain that he would easily get lost if he was left alone in this place. He marvelled once again as he was lead up the grand staircase, he let out a breath and looked at Claude.

"How do you not get lost in this place? It's so huge..." he said quietly, not wanting his voice to echo around the building.

"Practice." He chuckled, "And a pocket map."

Sebastian let out a snigger and covered his mouth before it could grow into a full blown laugh, "R... Really?" he asked.

Claude pushed his glasses up his nose and pulled the booklet from his pocket, handing it to their guest to look through, "When the master goes to his town house we rent out the mansion as a museum of sorts... He has a vast collection of antiques here which people practically drool over in their haste to see them."

The young man opened the booklet and looked it over curiously, "Whoa... I really _would_ get lost!"

He went to hand the booklet back but Claude simply waved it away, "You can keep that one." He smiled before stopping outside of one of the doors, "Please wait here for a moment." He said softly before knocking on the door and heading into the room.

Sebastian twiddled his thumbs a little anxiously as he waited outside; he checked his bag habitually before pausing as another butler walked past. He was slighter than Claude, his waist coat was a dark orange shade and his hair was a startling purple colour; the fringe parted on the right.

As he passed, the purple haired butler looked at him; his eyes almost piercing into his soul. It terrified him to his very bones but he couldn't look away to save his life. And then the butler looked away and continued down the hall like nothing had happened.

Sebastian gulped and tried to relax, which was pretty darn hard considering another butler walked past that looked _exactly_ like the previous one except that his purple fringe was parted to the left hand side rather than the right. This one gave him a rather perplexed expression before following the same route as the previous one had taken.

Okay now he was really worried... Was he just seeing things or was he going crazy?

He would have opted for just seeing things if it weren't for a _**third**_ butler who was identical to the first two. This one had a centre parting and didn't look at Sebastian at all, yet regardless of this he was well and truly freaked out now.

Sebastian jumped as a hand rested on his shoulder and spun around, looking up at Claude with a startled expression.

"I apologise if I scared you." Claude frowned faintly, "Is everything alright?"

"Uh... Of course, yes." He forced a smile, "Do you... Really have three butlers here who are identical?" he asked.

Claude glanced in the direction that the three Thompson brothers had disappeared in, "Ah... They are triplets." He smiled faintly, "We deal in the unusual here."

"I see... That would be a logical answer." He chuckled and looked back at him.

The head butler watched his reaction for a moment before clearing his throat, "My master wishes to meet you now."

"Okay!" he smiled enthusiastically and ran a hand through his hair self consciously as the butler opened the door he had come out of and gestured to the guest to enter.

Sebastian stepped into the room, blanching momentarily as he realised they were in a bedroom. He set this aside as his eyes fell upon the occupant of the room.

A young boy, with golden-blonde hair; creamy skin and intense ice blue eyes. He looked to be around twelve, thirteen at a push. Was this really...

"May I introduce, Earl Alois Trancy." Claude established with his usual polite tone, "Master, this is Sebastian. Sebastian-" he broke off as he realised he had never inquired the man's surname.

"Michaelis." He injected with an easy, cat like smile.

"Sebastian Michaelis." Claude finished.

The boy, seated on his bed, cast a wandering eye over the new comer; taking in his slightly shabby dress and attractive face. His azure eyes narrowed faintly as he tilted his head to look at him from a new angle. The male had stunning dark amber eyes, his skin was like alabaster and his complexion flawless...

"You are an artist, ne, Mr Michaelis?" he said finally.

"Yes, my Lord." He replied with a brief nod of his head, "Free lance mostly... But I have done one or two commissions. None for such a high class citizen though."

Alois tilted his head again so that he was upright again, "I see... Would you be happy to do this commission for me?"

"Of course... It would be my pleasure."

"Very well!" he sprung up lithely and landed on his tiptoes just in front of Sebastian, he leaned up and rested his hands on the stranger's shoulders and inhaled deeply, "Ne... You have a nice scent. Like fresh flowers and paper."

Sebastian stayed very still, feeling a little like a deer in headlights as he was sniffed by the lord. He swallowed and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, "Umm... Thank you?" he said uncertainly.

Claude, upon noticing the discomfort that their guest was in, interceded, "Shall I show our guest to his room, Master?" he asked calmly.

Alois, for a moment, looking like he was considering murder as he was interrupted but mellowed instantly, "Yes Claude! Also ensure that you work out the financial side of it too."

"Yes, your Highness." He murmured, his eyes glowing momentarily and not going unnoticed by the other occupant of the room.

Sebastian on the other hand, was simply glad when the young Earl released him and skipped over to his bed in his slightly scanty shorts and flopped on his bed, "And Claude?!"

"Yes?"

"Get Hannah to bring me something to eat... I'm hungry."

"Of course."

The butler offered a smile to their guest, ushering him from the room. As they walked down the corridor together in silence, Sebastian briefly wondered what he may have gotten himself into with this _commission_.

"Are you alright, _Sebastian_?"

A shudder ran through him, he rather liked the way his name sounded when coming from the other man's lips, "I... Yes. Yes of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he replied with a smile.

"Well... The Earl can be a little overwhelming at times." He shrugged.

"Oh... Um... Well I was a little surprised by his age." He commented.

Claude smiled faintly, "He is a unique child." He replied.

"Are you happy serving him?" he asked inquisitively.

Taken aback by the question, Claude was glad when they reached the room their new resident artist was going to be using and had an excuse not to answer him.

"Here we are." He paused and opened the door for him again, "Hopefully this will suit you for the duration of your stay. If not then please inform me and I can find something to better accommodate you."

Sebastian stepped inside and his mouth fell open. The room was lavishly decorated with the usual gold and cream furniture but the bed was laddened with darker sheeting and pillow covers. There was a small chandelier hanging up ahead and dotted around the room were many candles.

"This is more than perfect. Thank you." He replied with a smile.

"Excellent." Claude nodded and closed the door behind him, "Now, as for the financial aspects of this commission the sum of money we are willing to pay you is £1,500. Is this acceptable?"

Gawping slightly and sitting curtly on the bed that was to be his, "That is more than I had even imagined getting.

"You are unhappy with it?"

"Not at all! It is incredible... An absolutely incredible offer..."

Happy with his reaction, Claude nodded, "That is good to hear."

Sebastian fidgeted for a moment before swallowing, "Why did you decide to approach me in the park?"

"Hmm? You seemed... Interesting and different to other humans." Claude replied as simply as he could.

"Other humans... You speak as though you're not one." Sebastian tilted his head to the side curiously, "And I get the feeling that perhaps you are not entirely as you seem."

The butler fought the urge to smirk in retaliation... This truly was an interesting human indeed. He found himself wanting to learn more and more about him.

"I shall leave that to your imagination." He replied slyly, "Now... As you will be here for a couple of days at the most you will undoubtedly be requiring clothing and bed wear. If it is not unappealing to you, i shall take your measurements and have some made."

He tensed momentarily before standing, letting his bag rest on the bed, "Um... Sure thing. Thank you." He seemed to be saying that a lot today.

"Not at all. It would be most obscene for you to wander around naked."

Blushing slightly Sebastian stepped behind the screen and stripped off his shirt and trousers, leaving on his boxers before he stuck his head around and looked at the butler, "Do I really have to do this in my underwear?" he asked.

"By all means remove them as well if it suits you, Sebastian."

"That wasn't what I meant _Claude_." He replied hoarsely before padding out from behind the screen shyly; his arms wrapped around his chest.

The butler watched him from under his lashes as he pulled out a tape measure, was the younger man _shy_? In front of _him_? How endearing and adorable.

"Please let your arms to fall to your sides." Claude instructed as he walked over and stopped in front of the young man. He quickly measured his arm length, chest size, waist size, height, shoulder width, thigh width and leg length. He wasn't oblivious to the blush Sebastian was sporting as he was measured somewhat closely to his private area.

Sebastian swallowed hard, glancing down at the butler as his gloved hands brushed his bare thighs. He felt his cheeks warming slightly and swallowed again, biting his lip and looking away.

Claude stepped back and smiled, "All done." He announced, "I will return later this evening with your new clothes; until that time feel free to explore the mansion. If you get hungry at all simply pull one of the bell pulls and one of the servants will come and find you."

"Thank you." He replied and turned away to go and find his clothes.

"There is no need to thank me; this is after all my job and my duty."

Sebastian smiled and nodded before disappearing back behind the screen to get dressed again. When he returned he found that he was alone in the room. Slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be able to spend longer conversing with the mysterious butler he sighed and pouted faintly, sitting on his bed and fiddling with the bottom of his shirt thoughtfully.

He shrugged finally and lay back on the bed, never having felt a mattress so comfortable... Not since the days he lived at home anyway. He shook those thoughts away. He didn't want to think about the past, it was inconsequential to him now.

He rolled over and hugged one of the large pillows, that Claude was certainly interesting. Maybe he could steal a free drawing of him too before he left... He would make a superb model and he would be able to chat to him more at length.

_**To be continued...**_


	2. His Butler, Composing

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist. (*Grin* of course... This is subject to change as the plot develops).**

**(Any large bulk of text in **_**italics**_** is a Dream Sequence. And the presence of any number of these : ** resembles something that Sebastian currently cannot remember/comprehend.)**

**Thank you to all who have read this so far, and thank you for your lovely reviews :3**

**Chapter Two –**

Sebastian felt refreshed after a nice half an hour power nap; he studied his room in more detail. He found nothing of excessive interest to him but he sat in the bay window and looked out over the grounds.

They were truly breathtaking; he could see woodlands to the right and grassland the rest of the way around. There was also a well kept garden closer to the house and he could see the triplets working diligently, weeding; trimming; watering; sweeping and raking the soil.

He still felt a shudder run through him as he observed the three; there was something about them which made him a little nervous. He didn't feel that from Claude, or from the pretty maid Hannah. But the master of these servants was a little surprising still. He couldn't believe a child had all this wealth! Let alone control of a mansion, five servants and almost unlimited power! It was... Well it was a little daunting to say the least.

The dark haired male looked around as there was a knock at the door, "Come in!" he called, that would take some getting used to while he was here.

The door opened without a squeak and Hannah poked her head around and looked at him with her single eye, "Excuse the intrusion, Mr Michaelis, would you care for a drink?"

"Oh..." he sat back on the seated area in the bay window, "Um yes please."

"I will return with it momentarily."

He watched her disappear for a moment again and sighed, he hated being addressed by his surname, it brought back bad memories that he didn't want to address at the current time.

He jumped as a cup and saucer was suddenly presented before him and he looked up at the woman, he hadn't even heard her return!

"Thank you." He smiled and took the saucer from her, he inhaled deeply and chuckled, "Ah, Assam tea." He commented.

"You are familiar with tea brands?" she asked in surprise.

"Indeed. Assam is one of my favourites in fact." He smiled and took a sip, "Mm... It's perfect."

Hannah brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "It was a pleasure. If you require anything else please let me know."

"I uh..." he paused, "... Is there anything I can do? I'm not used to being waited on." He rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"Oh..." she hesitated, "Well... If you are really looking for something to do before you begin the master's portrait then I suppose you can give me a hand in the laundry room. I have some washing to fold and put away."

"That would be great!"

Sebastian half leapt to his feet and finished his tea eagerly, following her from the room as she took the cup and saucer from him. He was lead back down to the kitchen and watched her wash his cup and put it back in the cupboard before back tracking and progressing down the corridor and into the next room.

The dark haired male looked around the simplistic room, seeing a large sink at the back of the room; beside it was a shallow bathtub and a behind the door was an airing rack to hang the wet clothes on. The walls were simple gray stone and there was a low hanging lamp over head, there was also a long window behind the bathtub which allowed a world of light into the room.

He smiled at Hannah, "What's first?" he asked.

"Are you certain you still want to help, Mr Michaelis?"

"Absolutely!" he replied, "Can you... You know just call me Sebastian... I'm no one of importance."

"I'm not sure the master would approve..."

"Well he doesn't have to know. Just call me Sebastian when out of ear shot of him." He shrugged.

"Oh... Okay then." She smiled slightly before she turned and pulled a square foldable table from behind the airing rack and set it out, "Shall we start by ironing and folding these up? I believe Timber will be arriving shortly with the laundry from the master's room to be washed."

"Timber?"

"One of the triplets."

"Oh... Is he the scary glaring one?"

"Yeah."

"Damn."

Hannah set up the ironing board while Sebastian handed her shirts, shorts, underpants, socks, dinner jackets, morning jackets, night jackets, night shirts and bed sheets. He then took the ironed article back from her, folded it and laid it on the table which had been set up to his left.

They worked through the fabrics on the rack until it was empty, and while they spoke little while working Sebastian found that he was quite enjoying himself and was glad that he had offered to help.

Hannah smiled at him and put the ironing board away in a cupboard he hadn't even seen when he had first entered the room; they then set the ironed clothes and bedding into the large cream laundry basket the maid had flourished and set it by the door ready for when Timber arrived.

They didn't have to wait long, and when the young butler entered the room with three smaller baskets full to the brim with washing. He paused in the doorway as he saw Sebastian and his eyes narrowed slightly before he continued and dropped the baskets down by the large sink.

"Claude is looking for you." He told Hannah quietly, "Something about the master's luncheon."

"I see." She sighed momentarily before looking at Sebastian, "I must leave you for now. I will return as soon as possible."

"Okay..." he replied and watched her go, he then looked at the smaller man again and saw he was being watched, "Umm... Do you need a hand... Washing those?" he asked awkwardly.

"Hannah washes the clothes." Timber replied smoothly, "Feel free to begin ahead of her if you wish."

Sebastian nodded; putting the foldable table away again before he wandered over to the sink and examined it for a moment. He turned the taps on and put the plug in so that it filled with hot water; the amber eyed male looked around and grabbed the wash board, sliding it into the water and picking up the soap. He rolled his sleeves up and made a start, confident of his abilities.

"You act like a servant but you smell like a noble." Timber said suddenly, his breath rolling over Sebastian's neck.

"And... What is your point?" he replied, forcing himself not to be intimidated by the other man.

The purple haired one tipped his head, "I am curious."

"It is not something I wish to discuss."

"But I am curious."

Sebastian's eyes widened momentarily as he felt a strong hand grip a handful of his hair and tug his head back; he found himself looking at the butler, he winced as the grip tightened and his hair was pulled harder; reaching up and grabbed the wrist of the hair fisting his locks and tried to get him to release him.

"What... Is your problem?!" he snapped, his temper starting to coil as he was bent in an awkward position.

"Your scent... I am shocked that Claude or Hannah haven't already realised... Being older than myself they should have noticed first."

"What are you talking about?!" he asked, gasping as he was turned and pinned against the wall suddenly, "Let me go!"

"What are you doing in this house?" Timber wasn't going to relent.

"Claude invited me to... Ow! Do a commission of the Earl!"

"I don't believe you."

"Well it _is the_ truth!" he exclaimed, "Now let the hell go of me!"

"The hell? How ironic of you."

"What?"

This was getting ridiculous. Sebastian knew that the young butler didn't like him; the way that he had glared earlier that very same day had made it obvious to him. But he hadn't even suspected that the butler would go as far as to physically intimidate him like _this_. And on top of that... He had _no_ idea what the _hell_ Timber was talking about!

"I am going to give you one more chance... Let go of me right now." Sebastian murmured as calmly as he could as he glared fiercely into Timber's dark eyes.

"Not until you answer my questions."

"Very well." Sebastian sighed, almost pitying the man for what was to come.

The artist went limp against the butler, turning his body into a dead weight before he snapped his head forwards and head butted him, adding a successful elbow jab to the side of the neck, a knee to the groin and a kick to the chest.

He watched the dark haired butler crumple on the floor and brushed himself down, he ran a hand through his hair and took a breath, "I did _try_ to warn you."

Sebastian looked around as the door was pushed open slowly and he cleared his throat as he looked at Hannah and, just behind her, Claude.

"What on earth is going on?" Claude asked as he eased himself past the grey haired woman and looked from the sprawled out Timber to the ruffled Sebastian.

"Hannah left to talk to you..." Sebastian began, "And this one just got... Really weird. He was asking me a bunch of questions and just being generally aggressive."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No. Just a bit of hair pulling and intimidation." He replied, "I kind of put him down though."

"I can see that. It is... Most impressive. He is quite _talented_."

"What does he have against me?"

Claude glanced at Hannah and then back at Sebastian, "Nothing. He's just a bit... Over protective."

Hannah picked up her unconscious subordinate and shook him lightly before sighing, "He's out cold."

"Well it sounds like he deserves it." Claude muttered before looking at Sebastian squarely, "I hope you will accept my esteemed apologies for his behaviour."

"Of course... It wasn't your fault."

"He has his own agendas but his actions reflect poorly upon the Head Butler's authority." He sighed and swept his hair back thoughtfully, "Anyway. Would you care to follow me? The Early is now ready for you to begin his portrait if you are inclined."

"Sure that sounds good to me! Do you have paints here?" he asked suddenly.

"I have already ordered the paint and they are waiting for you." He answered calmly.

They stopped off at his room and Sebastian picked up a small case from his bag before he continued on their way; Claude glanced at the smaller man as they walked his curiosity almost at his peak.

How had this _human_ put down Timber? Although the triplets were younger than him or Hannah, they were still inhumanely strong and should not have been able to be knocked out by a mere human. Was it to do with the scent of the young artist? He had noticed it when he had been measuring him for his clothes, it rolled off him in waves and tickled Claude's nose pleasantly. Even now he could smell it and it was not the normal kind of scent for a human male.

Claude cleared his throat and came to a stop outside of the room they had set up in. He pushed the door open and let Sebastian inside before entering himself and closing the door behind them both.

The unsuspecting artist looked around, there was seat towards the corner of the room, and behind it had been hung a royal blue silken sheet; he presumed that this would be his working station.

There was a large easel positioned about six or seven foot away from the chair with a tall wooden stool. He saw several pots of expensive paint on a table beside the stool and a pallet ready and waiting.

Walking over he picked up the brushes and examined them, checking the grip and length before he read the labels and colours of the paints. Once he was happy he pulled on the loose jacket which was waiting to protect his clothes and took a seat while they waited for the Earl to arrive.

Claude watched the other get ready for his commission before he left the room to collect his master. He wanted to keep an eye on Sebastian, there was something about the young man; he wanted to know what it was.

He had indeed wanted to talk to Hannah, but not about Alois's luncheon. He wanted to know if she had also smelled the unusual scent from Sebastian and she had. Though she also had no idea what it was about or why he smelled in a way.

Shaking his head slightly he knocked on the door and opened it, "Master, Sebastian is ready to begin."

"Very well." The boy sighed exasperatedly, "You know I _hate_ sitting around being painted... It's soooo boring!"

"I know. But it is a necessity." The butler replied stoically.

Sebastian looked up when Claude returned with the young man he was set to paint. He had opened his paint and pasted several large blobs of colour onto his pallet, and was ready to get going.

The young boy was dressed in a dark green over coat, a plumb purple waist coat and a white shirt, as well as a pair of grey shorts and knee length black socks. His hair was loose and unkempt but suited him better that way than combed back and controlled.

Sebastian had a feeling that his hair reflected his personality: _out of control_. Not that he was about to mention it. He opened the small case he had brought from his room and pulled out a pair of frameless glasses and slid them onto his face; letting them hang low on his nose.

He smiled at the young Earl and watched as he sat down and crossed one leg over the other casually; strangely he was instantly assaulted with ideas of how to paint him. He picked up one of his brushes and dipped it in the water lightly before he began to work.

Claude remained in the room at his master's request and watched the artist work, his eyes narrowed slightly behind his spectacles as he let a faint hue of pink-purple leak into his usually sunshine yelled irises. The focus displayed the man was uncanny to that of a demon.

The butler tipped his head to the side as he saw the beginnings of the portrait begin to take form and rubbed his forehead, he was certainly glad that he knew talent when he saw it.

Sebastian was completely engrossed in what he was doing, he was passionately striking the canvas with the brush, dabbing the water every now and again before changing his colour and striking again. He let out a breathless sigh as he stood to the side and stared with glassy eyes at Alois.

With a nod to himself he stood back in front of the canvas again and continued painting once again.

Only when the light began to fade outside did he decide he could continue no longer, he washed his paintbrush and set it back in the holder. He smiled, "I think we can finish there for today, My Lord." He announced, removing the jacket he had been using and hanging it up.

When Alois stood up and moved to look at the portrait Sebastian covered it up, "No, My Lord, you cannot see it until it is finished." He chuckled.

"But I want to know how much longer I will have to sit around doing nothing tomorrow." He retorted.

"By my calculation it will take the same amount of time again tomorrow evening and about half the time the day after." He replied.

Alois looked at him for a moment before sighing and deciding that it wasn't worth his precious time to argue, "Alright. Claude what time will dinner be served?"

The butler walked over swiftly from where he had been stood for the hours that Sebastian had been working, "Seven O'clock, Master."

"Right... Make sure a space is prepared for our guest as well." He added before half skipping out of the door.

Claude watched as Sebastian half slumped where he was stood and reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder, "Hey... Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah... It's just when I really get going I pour everything I have into a piece of work. I guess some modern occultists would say 'I pour my very soul' into it." He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Personally I think I'm just obsessive."

'_Interesting observation by the occultists...'_ Claude thought to himself before smiling, "I will take you back to your room so you may rest before joining the master for dinner. I believe your clothes will be ready too so you can change if you desire."

"Thanks Claude, that would be great." He replied with a nod.

As they walked together, Sebastian looked around at the older man, "Claude?"

"Yes?"

"Would you consent to being a model for me?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked as he blinked and stared at him.

"I mean... Forgive me if I've come across as rude, it wasn't my intention I assure you." He swallowed, "It's just you have a perfect facial profile and I would love to draw sketch you..."

The butler looked ahead again and opened the door to Sebastian's room and let him inside, "I... Well I have my duties to attend to at the moment... But if you really wish to do so then I can make a little time later this evening. Perhaps once the Master is asleep?"

"That would be brilliant. Of course I don't wish to interrupt your duties though."

Claude smiled, "I am positive we can fit it into my time table."

He smiled widely as he sat down on his bed, "Thank you!" he half grinned; the butler was reminded, not for the first time, of a smug cat.

The bespectacled man gestured to the clothes hanging on the doors of the wardrobe and smiled, "I will leave you to relax for now, would you like to be called when the meal is ready?"

"Yes please." He replied.

Claude nodded and smiled slightly before leaving the room. Sebastian yawned hugely and shuffled up the bed, slipping his shoes off before he curled up on his side and dozed off.

_It was dark ahead of him but he continued to run regardless; the sky above him was the colour of blood and the moon was as black as his hair. Behind him were screams and shouts as house after house went up in flames, torched by their enemy._

_He was a child, so he had been ordered to flee for his own safety; he had tried to find his guardian but in this chaos it had been impossible and he had been forced to run alone._

_His eyes were teary and his nosy runny as fear coursed through him and made him shake from head to toe. He wanted his mother so badly! Anyone right now would be amazing._

_As if his prayers had been answered he ran into someone and fell, hitting the floor hard and crying out as his eyes finally spilled over from dread, certain he was about to be killed like so many of the others he had just seen._

_The amber eyed boy looked up slowly and he swallowed heavily as he saw a white haired boy crouching down to see if he was okay. He tensed as a hand was offered to him and he stared at him for a long moment before accepting it and allowing himself to be pulled back to his feet._

_The white haired boy was silent as the other cried but pulled a lilac handkerchief from his jacket and handed it to him, patting his back gently._

"_Why are you crying?" he asked finally._

_He hiccupped, "They're all being killed... All of them!"_

"_You mean the ******?" he asked, "Why should that make you weep like so?"_

"_Because my father is back there! He's back there fighting! I don't want him to die!"_

"_Your father? Is he one of them?"_

"_Y... Yes..." he stammered and sniffled, "I don't want him to die..."_

"_We should get out of here before we are found." The white haired boy sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder, "It will be alright. I am certain of it."_

_The amber eyed boy swallowed again and nodded, stepping closer to the stranger he couldn't explain it but he felt strangely safe near him._

"_Alright let's go then."_

_He felt a pair of arms wrap around him tightly and in a moment the world spun around them, for a split second they were in a place with nothing but white light and then they were stood in a park alone. It was the middle of the night, so thankfully there was no one around to view their arrival._

_He wobbled slightly and would have fallen if not for the arms around him. He looked up at his white haired saviour and swallowed as he saw those lilac eyes fixed on his face, "You can teleport even at such a young age?" he asked the boy._

"_Of course. Where I am from I would be mocked if I could not."_

"_Where are you from? What's your name?" he asked curiously, unconsciously holding onto the front of the other's white jacket._

"_I'm from somewhere you could never imagine. It is a place of honour and faith." He replied, "My name is Ash."_

"_Ash?" he repeated, "A place... Of faith?"_

"_Shall I tell you a secret?" Ash leaned in slowly and hugged him tightly again, his lips brushing against his ear, "I'm an Angel."_

Sebastian sat upright on the bed and groaned as his head spun at the sudden movement. He swallowed hard and panted gently, running a hand down his face as he felt a sick feeling churn in his stomach.

What the hell had that dream been about? Who was Ash? Angels? Seriously? Damn he must be addled in the head or something.

He shook his head and swivelled on the bed, resting his sock covered feet on the floor as he tried to calm the palpitations of his heart to a reasonable level again. He ran a shaky hand through his hair before getting to his feet slowly; he pulled the pocket watch from his trouser pocket and checked the time, Claude would probably be coming back to get him soon.

Sebastian set the time piece on the bedside table and started to strip off, pulling on a set of the clothes that had been made for him.

He was shocked by the quality and instantly wished he could pay for them, he could just picture the price tags on these articles and they gave him another headache.

Sighing in spite of himself he pulled on the tight fitting black trousers, dark burgundy shirt, black waist coat and black dinner jacket. He opened the wardrobe door and checked his appearance in the mirror which was embedded in the wood; brushing himself down and fastening the buttons he nodded and let out a breath.

Whatever that dream had been about, it was mere fallacy. Angels did not exist. The sky was not red, the moon was not black and he wasn't ten years old. He was twenty-three, he was an adult and he had a mother and a father, both of whom no longer acknowledged him as their son. And it was fine.

He nodded and shut the door too, looking up as he saw a shadow by the door; he smiled as he saw Claude stood there patiently.

"The clothes suit you finely." The butler complimented and gestured for him to exit, "The dinner is ready now."

"I haven't said 'thanks' as much in years as I have today." He chuckled and walked out of the room with him beside him, "But I am very grateful."

"Really there is no need, you are truly talented; I saw a glimpse of the portrait earlier and it is magnificent so far."

"Ha-ha... Well I'm not sure where I get such a talent from. My father was a lawyer and my mother was one of these revolutionary women who held down a job and managed to raise children."

"What work did she do, if I may inquire?"

"She was a part time governess and tutored the son of an Earl the other side of London." He replied with a shrug, "The Earl's son is about Alois's age, I can't remember the name exactly as I only over heard it once or twice but I think it was something along the lines of Phantom... Phantomhive perhaps?"

"Ah, yes the master has some dealings with Earl Phantomhive on occasion." Claude replied, "The man who probably employed your mother was killed a couple of years back, the child you speak of is the current Earl."

"How terrible."

"Indeed, I believe there was a fire and the boy was the only survivor."

Sebastian shook his head but trembled slightly, recollections of fire from his dream flashed before his eyes. He shook them away and forced them back.

"Are you alright?" Claude asked, noticing the shudder which had run through the other's body at the mention of a fire.

"Yes, I just had a strangely vivid dream before you collected me." He shook his head, "It was nothing... Just some foolish fairytale."

"I see... If you require an ear to bend you may borrow mine whenever you desire. I will listen."

Sebastian smiled and chuckled lightly, "I appreciate the offer, but it really as of the utmost foolishness." He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

Claude smiled faintly before leading him into the dining room where Alois was already waiting for them both; sprawled impatiently across his seat. He perked up when he saw his butler and sat up straighter, observing the man by his side and the small gap between them.

'_Why couldn't Claude be so comfortable around me too?'_ he whined inwardly as he saw the two share a quick glance before the dark haired artist walked over and took the seat opposite to the Earl.

Sebastian thanked Claude who tucked his chair in once he was seated and smiled at the Earl, having noticing his slightly piercing gaze before hand, "How has your evening faired?" he asked.

"Dully." The boy replied, "Still I hope that will change shortly. We are expecting a messenger from the Queen."

"Oh?" curiosity niggled at him.

Alois drummed his fingers on the table top, "Mmm... Some task she wants her Spider to deal with. Cleaning up certain messes... Irrevocably exciting stuff."

"You are... The Queen's Spider?" he asked with a blink.

"Yeah..." he shrugged, "Sometimes we have to consort with her other puppet noblemen too, like the Phantomhive Earl and the-"

"Today's dinner is a three bird roast consisting of duck, chicken and turkey; served alongside fresh country peas, carrots and boiled King Edward potatoes."

Claude's interruption wasn't welcomed by Sebastian. As hungry as he was, he wanted to know what the Earl had been about to say, but he supposed he could reinitiate the conversation at another time. He murmured his thanks as his plate was set in front of him and the most delicious of aromas wafted over his senses and made his stomach growl in protest of his hesitation.

He glanced up and saw that the blonde child was already eating and presumed that there were few reasons to stand on ceremony when you were usually the only resident of the place. He picked up his fork and began eating quietly.

They were quiet for a time and the servants came and went about their business. Sebastian noticed that Timber didn't appear at all and inwardly smirked about his victory over the bastard.

"Ah yes..." the child said suddenly as he swallowed a mouthful of cool water, "I wanted to talk to you about earlier on today. What happened with Timber?"

The amber eyed male sighed and set his knife and fork down for a moment, "He attacked me in the laundry room without provocation." He replied.

"I see... Were you seriously injured?"

"No My Lord."

"I see... I apologise for his behaviour, he will be punished accordingly."

Sebastian smiled weakly, "Was he alright after I put him down?"

"Yes... He was unconscious for half an hour. Hannah is dealing with his punishment as he is her subordinate."

"I just don't understand what I did so wrong that made him react so negatively towards me." He sighed and shrugged before picking his cutlery back up and eating again.

When Sebastian finished his course and sat back he was quite content, sipping his water and running a hand through his hair while their plates were removed by one of the other triplets.

Claude reappeared a few moments later with a small trolley, "For the sweet we have black forest gateau topped with red cherries." He set a plate in front of Alois and then in front of Sebastian, offering the latter a smile before he retreated once again.

By the time they had finished, Sebastian felt supremely full and contented. He sat back and stretched his long limbs, feeling his bones pop in complaint to the movement. He watched as his plate was removed and placed on a trolley and looked back at the Earl for a moment and watched him get to his feet with a yawn.

"Well then... I will be excusing myself. I have to go and wait for the Queen's messenger as I said earlier. Feel free to explore the mansion further or retire to your room. Claude can have a bath made for you if you want."

"Thank you, My Lord." He replied as he stood up and inclined his head to him as he watched the boy once again _skip_ out of a room.

Sebastian sighed and shook his head; he excused himself silently from the room and looked around curiously. He was a little nosy and he wanted to see who the Queen's messenger was, so against his better judgement he followed the sound of Alois's footfalls as quietly as he could manage while also making sure not to lose the young Earl in this slightly maze like home.

He paused suddenly as he heard a door close up ahead and he sped up, turning the corner and seeing what he guessed was a small meeting room. There was no way he was an eve's dropper so his search ended now. He sighed in disappointment and turned to find his way back to his room.

He froze as he saw a flash of white before him before he was knocked over and landed on his backside. He swallowed and looked up slowly, his eyes moving up the white suit slowly. His mouth went dry as his amber eyes met lilac ones.

"Are you alright?" the voice was soft and kinder than he had expected, the stranger (although very familiar to Sebastian) leaned down slowly and extended a hand to him.

He took the proffered limb and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet, he stared up at the soft angular features of the man before him and nodded slowly, "Y-Yes... Sorry I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's not a problem." The white haired male smiled, putting Sebastian at ease, "Tell me... You seem familiar to me for some reason. Have we met before?"

"Ngh... Um... Uh-uh." He shook his head slowly, "Don't think so." He mumbled.

"Oh. My mistake." He smiled again and it made Sebastian think that the sun shined out of him, "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ash."

Sebastian's mouth went completely dry and the blood drained from his face, he wobbled for a moment before he crumpled, heading for the floor. The last thing he heard before darkness swallowed him was a low, sultry chuckle.

_**To be continued...**_


	3. His Butler, Dreaming

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist. (*Grin* of course... This is subject to change as the plot develops).**

**(Any large bulk of text in **_**italics**_** is a Dream Sequence. And the presence of any number of these: ** resembles something that Sebastian currently cannot remember/comprehend.)**

**Thank you for your reviews and support, I hope you continue to enjoy the story! :)**

**Chapter Three –**

Claude heard a thud from the hallway and frowned, he excused himself from his master's side and went to investigate; closing the door behind him he walked swiftly towards the source of the commotion.

His eyes widened momentarily as he saw Sebastian crumpled on the floor at the Queen's butler's feet seemingly unconscious, he neutralised his expression again quickly and strode forwards as he saw the white haired man kneel down and place his jacket behind the unconscious male's head and tap his cheek gently.

"What on earth happened?" the black clad butler asked in concern as he knelt on one knee beside the other two.

"I'm not sure Claude." The white haired one replied, "We bumped into one and other as we were coming around the corner here and when he saw me he looked like he had seen a ghost. When I introduced myself he simply fainted..."

"How queer." He rubbed his chin in thought and took over trying to stir the young artist with soft taps to his cheeks, "I am certain he will be alright in a moment."

Ash sighed softly and sat back on his folded legs, "I apologise for the disturbance, Claude. I can take care of him if you need to return to Earl Trancy's side."

"Not at all..." he hesitated at the offer and ceased trying to stir Sebastian from his dead sleep, "Very well. If you give to me the message from her Royal Highness, I will deliver it to my Master on your behalf before concluding the evening swiftly and checking on Sebastian."

"So that is his name?"

"Indeed, Sebastian Michaelis. He is a freelance artist, here on official business to paint the Earl as a commission."

"My goodness, he must be very good."

"Indeed."

Claude scooped Sebastian's prone body up in his arms, letting Ash take his jacket back and slip it back on. He handed the artist over to him once he was ready, "His room his on the first floor, the left hand corridor, turn left, right and then it is the third door on the left."

Ash made sure to memories the directions and nodded, "Alright. If he wakes I shall tend to him as though I was his butler until you arrive."

"That would be greatly appreciated."

The Queen's butler handed Claude the sealed envelope containing her Majesty's wishes before he swept off elegantly in the directions which he had received.

Claude's eyes narrowed as he watched the man retreat; shivering a little as the reeking sweet scent of the other man lingered in the air. There was something about the man that he despised; he simply couldn't put his finger on it yet.

He did fully intend to investigate it when his other duties did not take up so much of his time, but considering at the current time he was laddened down by his Highness's childish whims and fears.

Fear of the dark. Fear of going to sleep alone. Fear of sleeping. Fear of heights. Fear of being lonely. Fear of being kidnapped. Fear of the unknown. Fear of bloody _everything_!

Taking a breath to form some kind of composure, Claude resigned himself to simply investigate the man when he had more time and to finish his duties extra fast so that he didn't leave Sebastian alone with Ash for too long.

He also found himself wondering, as he hastened back to his master's side, what that dream had been about which Sebastian had mentioned before dinner. A _'foolish fairytale,'_ he had said it was; it niggled at the back of Claude's mind but he knew with an inverted sigh that there was nothing he could do about it.

He entered the room and slid the envelope across the table towards his master and stood stiffly as he watched him open and read it lazily.

"What happened to Ash?"

"There was an incident in the hallway with our guest and Ash has taken him back to his room." He replied, nudging his glasses up his nose.

"I see... Everyone seems to be gravitating towards that guy..."

"Does it bother you?"

Alois's blue eyes flicked up to Claude's yellow ones for a moment before he went back to reading his letter, "Should it?"

The butler's lips twitched towards a smirk but he knew better than to allow it to show, his master was not above striking him no matter the level of his preposterous _adoration_ for him.

Alois's next words surprised him beyond imagination, "He reminds me of you."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a visible frown.

"He smells like you..." he murmured, playing with the envelope, a distant expression on his face, "And when he thinks no one is looking his eyes change, they look ancient and conceited. Dark even."

Claude's mouth went a little dry. So even a human had been able to detect the difference in Sebastian's scent. He had noticed the change in the young artist's eyes when he had watched him painting earlier that day, but he hadn't seen conceitedness, he had seen pride and weariness.

With a small sigh Claude rubbed his forehead and flicked his fringe out of his eyes, "To my knowledge he is not a demon. But having said that... His scent and his reflexes are very akin to demonic ones."

"So what is he?"

"I am uncertain."

"Investigate Claude."

Bowing on one knee the man dropped his head, "Yes, your Highness." He spoke in a monochrome as his eyes leaked pink demonic power at the activation of their contract.

"You can go. Hannah will see to me this evening."

Not waiting for him to change his mind, Claude escaped the room and hurried towards Sebastian's once again.

Ash walked swiftly with Sebastian still asleep in his arms; his eyes never left the sleeping man's face. He opened the bedroom door without shuffling him around too much and shut it firmly behind them before laying Sebastian down on the plush bed. He sat beside his legs and leaned over him, his breathing quicken slightly as he observed the dark haired male doze.

The Queen's butler leaned down slowly, until they were nose to nose, "How I have searched for you..." he whispered, "And now here I stumble upon you in the most unlikely scenario. I must wonder... How much do you remember? How much of that time is still nestled in hiding in the back of your mind?"

He closed the distance, his lilac eyes remaining fixed on Sebastian's peaceful face as he pressed their lips together softly; lifting a hand and brushing some loose strands of ebony hair out of his alabaster face.

Ash's eyes flicked to the door as he heard the resident butler turning the handle and pulled back the instant before the door opened, standing up and looking professional.

"Has he woken yet, Ash?" Claude asked as he shut the door behind him and walked over to the bedside to check the unconscious man's temperature and pulse rate.

"No." The other replied a little curtly, he wasn't overly pleased at having been disturbed so soon.

"I see... Well I have delivered her Majesty's message to my master so you may take your leave now and tell her Earl Trancy accepts. Of course, unless you have other business here?"

Lilac met golden yellow in a battle of stares. Neither willing to concede defeat or back down.

Ash glanced at Sebastian before surrendering, "I am certain I have no idea what you might mean, _Mister_ Claude."

"Indeed." The black haired butler simply smiled slightly, "Well then, I trust you do not require for me to show you out?"

"Not at all." He replied, inwardly wishing to rip the man to pieces, "Until next time, Claude."

"Long live the Queen." He said as seriously as he could manage.

Claude watched Ash leave with narrowed eyes, he walked over to the window and watched the man step into the hansom cab downstairs and he observed it drive out of the grounds; only then did he relax.

Turning to Sebastian, he strode back over and sat on the edge of the bed, lifting his hand again to feel his pulse rate. He frowned and leaned over slightly, brushing his gloved thumb over the other's lips as he saw a slight shine. Had that creep done something to him while asleep?

The butler shuddered at the thought of the staring contest they had just shared; there was definitely something wrong with the Queen's butler and it was starting to really annoy him.

He was snapped from his thoughts when Sebastian let out a groan from the back of his throat, shamed to realise that the sound sent prangs right into his groin.

The golden eyed male stood up swiftly; brushing himself down as he ignored the heat spreading through his veins as he scrutinized the man on the bed with a lustful desire not dissimilar to his lust for human souls.

Clearing his throat, Claude fetched a basin of cool water and a flannel, dipping the cloth in the liquid to dampen it before he gently rested it against the other's forehead in hopes of rousing him from sleep.

_The lies of his past were clouded with black mist and his true form hidden from him by a most powerful enchantment. The life he lived was a lie, the past he remembered a lie, the family he once held so dear a lie. His whole existence had been born upon a lie of the worst kind._

_But because of that kiss, things were starting to get a little clearer and his memories shifted slightly, even only a few inches towards the real truth of what had happened that fateful night._

_It was dark ahead of him but he continued to run regardless; the sky above him was the colour of blood and the moon was as black as his hair. Behind him were screams and shouts as house after house went up in flames, torched by their enemy._

_He was a child, so he had been ordered to flee for his own safety; he had found the man who had been his guardian during his first trip to this plain, in the barnyard of the manor, his head several feet away from the rest of his body; his dark ember eyes staring blindly at the ceiling where his head had landed._

_He had stumbled across this scene in his franticness and retched at the horrific sight. Blood painted the barn walls and floors like a thick, sticky paint. The horses and cattle lay slain in the hay bales they had fed from; their condition not much better than their deceased owner._

_Fear and adrenaline had forced him to run again._

_His eyes were teary and his nosy runny as fear coursed through him and made him shake from head to toe. The barn had caught fire shortly after he had fled; that meant his enemy was closing in on him and he knew he had to escape. He couldn't end up like his guardian. He couldn't die. He had to go home to his mother and he would never ever leave again! This was all over his head; he didn't know what to do or how to be what they all seemed to want from him. It was too much! And now people were dying in front of him and he was scared. He was just a scared little boy._

_His prayers for another person to appear were answered as he ran straight into the back of someone but he fell; hitting the floor hard he cried out as his eyes finally spilled over from dread, certain he was about to be killed like so many of the others he had just seen._

_The amber eyed boy looked up slowly and he swallowed heavily as he saw a white haired boy crouching down to see if he was okay. He tensed as a hand was offered to him and he stared at him for a long moment before accepting it and allowing himself to be pulled back to his feet._

_The white haired boy was silent as the other cried but pulled a lilac handkerchief from his jacket and handed it to him, smoothing the hair at the back of his head in a tender motion._

"_Why are you crying?" he asked finally._

_He hiccupped, "They're all being killed... All of them!"_

"_You mean the ******?" he asked, "Why should that make you weep like so?"_

"_Because my father is back there! He's back there fighting! I don't want him to die!"_

"_Your father? Is he one of them?"_

"_Y... Yes..." he stammered and sniffled, "I don't want him to die..."_

"_We should get out of here before we are found." The white haired boy sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder, "It will be alright. I am certain of it."_

_The amber eyed boy sniffled and looked up at him, "O-okay..." The amber eyed boy swallowed again and nodded, stepping closer to the stranger he couldn't explain it but he felt strangely safe near him._

_He felt a pair of arms wrap around him tightly and in a moment the world spun around them, for a split second they were in a place with nothing but white light and then they were stood in a park alone. It was the middle of the night, so thankfully there was no one around to view their arrival. _

_The amber eyed boy could see that the sky here was black with twinkling white stars. He breathed a sigh of relief, they were back home then._

_He wobbled slightly and would have fallen if not for the arms around him. He looked up at his white haired saviour and swallowed as he saw those lilac eyes fixed on his face, "You can teleport even at such a young age?" he asked the boy._

"_Naturally. If I could not my peers and mentors would mock me terribly." The white haired boy smiled warmly at him._

"_What's your name?"_

"_Ash."_

_He returned his smile shyly and looked around, "Where are we?"_

"_England, South-East London."_

"_My house might be nearby."_

"_You live here?"_

"_Yeah... It was my first time visiting the **** ******. I guess my visit didn't end too well though."_

"_You are not a ***** yourself?"_

_He looked up at him in surprise, "No... My mother is a human."_

Claude sat upright in the chair as Sebastian let out a dry sob before his amber eyes slowly flickered open. He leaned over him and rested his hand on his shoulder.

"Sebastian? Can you hear me?" he asked.

Sebastian's eyes snapped open fully and he looked up at him in surprise, "C-Claude?" He sat bolt upright abruptly and looked around, looking to see where Ash had gone.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Slow down." The butler chided sternly, "You've been unconscious for a good hour and a half. Moving around like that'll make you ill!"

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"The pale one. White hair, purple eyes... Ash... Where is he?"

Claude frowned faintly at his troubled expression and shuffled a bit further up the bed, forcing him to lie back down, "How do you know Ash?"

"I... I don't know..." he replied, rubbing his head in confusion as the onset of a migraine started, "I mean... I know him but I don't know how..."

"How can you not know?"

"Because!" he faltered and gritted his teeth, "I... Have self-inflicted amnesia or rather my brain blocked out a trauma, whichever you prefer... And... Recently when I've been going to sleep I've been... Having dreams. And... they seem so real but they _can't_ be real..."

The butler frowned as he listened, he did recall reading something about self-induced amnesia to protect the subject from a traumatic experience but he had never come across it before. How curious.

"What do you remember of these dreams? It could be important..."

Sebastian crinkled his face up in concentration as his headache started to get worse and sighed, "I'm a child... Maybe about twelve or thirteen and I'm running from someone... I don't know who... Before now the dream has always been the same. I was trying to find my guardian but I couldn't so I ended up running alone when I bump into a boy around the same age as I was. He had white hair and lavender eyes. He comforted me because I was crying and hugged me... Then he teleported us away from there and said he was from a _place of faith_ and his name was Ash. But sometimes when one of us spoke what was said was... Muffled out and I can never hear what is said."

Sebastian licked his lips as he paused, his eyes flicking upwards as he recalled the dream again, "But when I was asleep just now it was a little different... I remembered it differently for some reason... maybe because I saw Ash or I don't know..." he sighed, "Instead of failing to find my guardian I _did_ find him. He was dead in the house's barn, he had been decapitated and the animals killed as well... I ran off when I heard the killers coming back and found Ash again. But then he teleported us and we were back near my own home and we talked for a little while."

Claude's expression remained neutral, however on the inside he was reeling. The whole story sounded preposterous to him but at the same time he felt the compelling feeling that it had possibly happened.

Noticing Sebastian's hesitation to say anymore, Claude patted his shoulder, "When you said he teleported you... Where were you before you teleported?"

The amber eyed male frowned and rolled onto his side, "Mm... I don't know... It was one of the things that I couldn't hear but... The sky was scarlet, there was a black moon and it was really dark because it was night time."

Claude closed his eyes; sucking in a breath as he spoke and rested his head on one of his hands thoughtfully, "I see... I see..."

"What is it?"

"Sebastian... Forgive the personal edge to this question but... You said your mother had an affair with another man and you were the result. Are you absolutely sure... You don't know who your father is?"

He frowned and scratched his chin, "Whenever I asked she just said that he was a lord of some kind. She never told me his name or showed me a picture of him..."

The butler stood up slowly; letting out a soft sigh, "You look tired..." he commented with a weak smile.

"Yeah a little bit..." he looked up at him, "I don't think I'm going to be able to do that drawing of you tonight. I'm sorry..."

"It is of little concern right now Sebastian. Try to sleep, I have no doubt that you will feel better come morning."

"I don't know about that... If I have another dream I won't."

"Then let us ensure you do not dream tonight."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

Claude pulled a small phial of midnight blue liquid and uncorked it. He tipped it into his own mouth and held it under his tongue before he leaned down and cupped Sebastian's cheek. Gazing into his amber eyes, Claude leaned forwards, making sure his advance was not unwelcome before he pressed his lips to Sebastian's.

The artist's eyes widened in surprise as their lips met but he didn't pull back or push him away, instead he leaned into him; inhaling the delectibly sweet scent which rolled off the butler as it intoxicated his senses and made him feel light headed.

The butler's tongue slipped into his mouth and elicited a moan from his throat as he reciprocated the deepness of the kiss, arching into him as he cupped the back of his head and brushed his fingers through his silky locks. He gasped as he felt a sour tasting liquid inject into his mouth and he was forced to swallow it; a small frown formed between his brows as Claude pulled back with a small but ever so slightly self-satisfied smirk on his lips.

"You total bastard..." the artist muttered as he felt his head go cloudy in response to the fast acting sleeping agent.

"You will be thanking me in the morning, Sebastian."

"I don't care about the sleeping draught..." he said as he laid back on the bed; a yawn escaping him, "You stole my first kiss..."

The butler blinked at that, it had not been what he had expecting him to say but he found it quite endearing. He chuckled lightly and pulled the bedcovers up over the almost sleeping form, "I will make it up to you."

"Mm... You better..." came the mumbled, slightly garbled response.

Claude's expression softened slightly as he leaned down and brushed the other's fringe from his face, "Goodnight Sebastian Michaelis." He whispered, pressing a swift kiss against his cheek before he stood and retired from the room.

The butler swept down the hallway with a darkened expression as he considered the story Sebastian had told him. Without a doubt he believed every word. What worried him was the content of the conversation.

He knew the night of which he spoke. He too had been there. But the real question was: _Why had Sebastian been there on that fateful night?_

With a sigh, Claude walked into the kitchen to help prepare for tomorrow's meals. He noticed Hannah's stare but ignored her as he checked the menu he had written up the night before last. He nodded to himself and busied himself with work.

Hannah reached out suddenly and wiped his lips with a handkerchief, "Have you lost your mind, Claude?"

"It is not your concern. Hannah." He retorted sharply as he snatched the cloth from her and wiped the remnants of sleeping draught from his lips.

"It is if it will meddle with our work here."

"It _won't._" He shot her a look, his demonic powers flaring slightly as his eyes shone pink and black in temper.

She shrugged and continued to chop carrots for tomorrow's dessert, "Never before have you taken such a shining to a mere _human_."

"He..." he gritted his teeth as he cut his finger by accident and pulled his glove off, licking the wound thoughtfully, "He isn't just a human though. There is something else there. Something that... Makes him more than a human. I just can't put my finger on it yet."

"Don't get any closer to him Claude... You know it will never work out! How many times have you told me not to get intimate with them?!"

Her voice cut him like the very knife he held and he gripped the handle tightly, "Hannah..." he looked at her slowly, "... Keep your nose out of my business or you will lose it altogether!"

Her single blue eye narrowed, "Why him? Why not a dozen of the other humans we have encountered since coming here? What is so special about him?"

"I... Hannah there is nothing going on, I have no feelings for him and I resent your interference." He said stiffly, holding her gaze with ease, "Now would you please back off so I can finish cutting this potatoes _without_ losing a finger?!"

She sighed as he spoke and lifted a hand in defeat, returning to her own chores, "Just don't come running to me when it comes tumbling down around your ears."

He rolled his eyes and returned his full concentration to the task in hand, whatever kept his mind of the delectably innocent man upstairs was fine by him. He had stolen his first kiss according to him, did that mean he hadn't had sex as well?

Claude's hands trembled at the idea of claiming a virgin and he almost relinquished an aroused growl from his throat. The only thing which prevented him from doing so was Hannah's presence. He was not going to relent to her the extent of his own thoughts. She didn't deserve such a reward for her meddling. Tch... Women could be such nags. That was one of the reasons he only contracted to boys and men, at least to an extent they didn't nag as much. Alois was an exception to that rule.

But... If Sebastian truly was a virgin and he hadn't seemed overly bothered by the fact that his first kiss had been claimed by Claude would the luscious man allow him to claim him in other ways too?

He swallowed as his trousers became a little tighter as his mind replayed the image of his sleeping form stretched out on the bed, tight fitting clothes and all.

He sighed and shook such images away for the time being, they would interfere with his work if he let them and then Hannah really would take the high horse attitude at him. No way was he getting an earful of her again.

Unnoticed by the inhabitants of the mansion, a lone white clad figure crouched in the trees alongside the building.

Ash lifted his head slowly, looking towards the mansion with a greedy hunger in his lavender eyes as he allowed his snow white wings stretch out behind him like a bird about to descend upon its prey. He licked his lips, remembering how Sebastian's felt against his; he wanted more. More of the incredible creature which lay in his clutches.

'_Soon Sebastian... Soon I will make you remember the whole thing and then I will claim you as my own. What a pair we could make. Ruling the heavens, the Earth and Hell.'_

_**To be continued...**_


	4. His Butler, Recalling

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist.**

**(Any large bulk of text in **_**italics**_** is a Dream Sequence. And the presence of any number of these: ** resembles something that Sebastian currently cannot remember/comprehend.)**

**I had a LOT of fun writing and playing around with this Chapter I can tell you. And you finally get some answers about Sebastian's past. I hope it doesn't disappoint! **

**Thank you for your lovely reviews, they are much appreciated!**

**Chapter Four – **

"_Good night, Sebastian Michaelis."_

When Claude had spoke his name, Sebastian had already been semi-unconscious but that didn't stop the flutter of butterflies that erupted at the sound of his gentle tone, and the parting peck which was pressed against his cheek.

He had then fallen into the calmest and deepest sleep he had experienced for a good six years, but it didn't last nearly as long as he would have liked and before long he began to rouse from sleep; hastened by his sudden desperation for the bathroom facilities.

With an incoherent grumble of mashed up words, Sebastian dragged himself out of bed; pausing only to check the elegant clock piece on the bedside table.

He swore under his breath. It was just past 4 in the morning.

Tripping over something on the floor he rubbed his eyes and looked down; a smile twitched at his lips as he saw a pair of warm looking slippers on the floor. He stuffed his feet into the warm material and sighed before pulling a dressing gown from the end of the bed which had magically appeared while he had been sleeping. He chuckled to himself and donned the gown before creeping out of his room.

It was dark in the hallway, Sebastian had to squint as he snuck along; trying not to make too much noise and disturb anyone who had already found sleep. He found the bathroom and knocked in case there was already an occupant; when he found it to be empty he half shot inside to relieve himself.

A couple of minutes later, he stepped back out into the hallway, having washed and dried his hands. He squinted again and fumbled his way back to his guest bedroom.

Reaching his destination, Sebastian eased the door open again and winced as he was blasted by a candle light he hadn't been expected; he blinked several times before he was able to focus and sighed as he saw a lit candle had been placed on his bedside. He smiled as he headed inside and a back down on his bed, feeling a little dumbstruck as he saw two cups of steaming tea on the bedside table as well.

"I hope you don't mind my presence." A voice said from the other side of the room.

Sebastian's head snapped around and his cheeks flushed a little as he saw Claude seated elegantly in the bay window, "Oh, no of course not."

"I had figured that you would be waking up soon, the draught only works for a certain number of hours and considering your somewhat restless soul I thought it likely that you would wake, rather than continuing to sleep."

"Heh, I guess you figured right." He replied and stood back up, he picked up one of the tea cups and carried it over to the off-duty butler, "Could you not sleep?" he inquired.

"Not really. I was thinking over what you had said about your dreams."

"Oh those..." he sighed and shrugged, "Well... Now that you are here, would you like me to sketch you?"

Claude thanked him for the drink and sipped it thoughtfully as he spoke, he smiled slightly behind the cup, "You have only just woken up Sebastian, are you sure you are up to it?"

"I only have to sit, draw and order you around so I am certain it won't be a problem."

Chuckling slightly, Claude finished his drink and stood up, "Alright then. Where do you want me?" he asked, fully intending to use this private time to tease the younger and see how he reacted to innuendo, he desperately wanted to know if he was as innocent as he seemed to be.

"Um..." Sebastian flushed very faintly and cleared his throat as he pulled his sketch pad and pencils from his bag, "Go and lay against the pillows, I will sit at the end of the bed and draw you from that angle. The candle light will undoubtedly make the perfect scenery."

'_Interesting... He blushed but his mind is already firmly set upon his work. Such a professional outlook...'_ Claude thought to himself as he moved over to the bed as instructed.

Sebastian watched as Claude did as he had asked and took a seat at the end of his bed; smiling at him as they both got comfortable.

"How do you want me?" the butler asked as he rested back, loosening his tie and unfastening his top couple of shirt buttons, still entertaining the idea of driving the other crazy with suggestions and innuendoes.

The amber eyed male flushed slightly again and cleared his throat, his eyes following the other's hand as he watched him unfastening buttons, "Um..." he paused for thought before he crawled up the bed and took his hand, resting it back against one of the pillows. He tilted his head and gently gripped the butler's chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently tilted his head back.

Boldly, Sebastian brushed his thumb over the butler's lips; recalling their kiss from earlier he leaned down over him and brushed his own lips along his jaw line before he settled back at the end of the bed with a small smirk on his face as he picked up his sketch pad and pencils again.

Claude's eyes were a little wide behind his spectacles and he watched Sebastian retreat back to the end of the bed with that sly and cat like grin on his face. He was amused by the young artist's boldness after only one kiss which had been predominantly to ensure he took a sleeping draught but he found it charming in the extreme.

The sound of scratching on paper filled the comfortable silence between them; neither felt overly obliged to alter that. But after a while, Claude felt curiosity sneaking into the forefront of his mind.

"How is it looking?" he asked curiously.

"Mm... Not bad." Came the reply, his voice low and completely engrossed in what he was doing.

"Can I see it?"

"Not until it is finished."

"Aww." Claude almost pouted at the refusal and rested back against the pillows once again.

Several hours passed between them like that; they shared few words but mostly the room was silent except for an abundance if pencil scratching on paper.

When Sebastian finally relinquished a yawn and set his book down, Claude knew it was okay to move from his statuesque position. He sat up slowly and stretched his aching muscles before rubbing a hand down his face; slowly peering over at the sketchbook.

Taken aback by what he saw on the paper he looked up at Sebastian in surprise, "That is incredible." He said softly.

"Thank you. I'm glad that you like it." Sebastian seemed pleased by the praise and went to pick up the sketchpad; he paused as their hands brushed as they both reached for it.

The two males stared at each other for a long few moments before they subconsciously leaned towards each other until they were only a hair's breadth apart. Their eyes were slightly glazed over by unwitting desire and their breathing was slightly elevated; pupils dilated by the first touches of lust.

Sebastian swallowed, his tongue darting out over his lips to moisten them slightly as he ran his eyes over the other's face as though searching for something. He was unsettled by the curling heat in his belly, an edge of fear biting at his heels at the unfathomable arousal he encountered when the other man looked at him so deeply, like he was boring into his very soul. Didn't they always say that one's eyes were the window to the soul? Maybe they were correct...

The golden eyed butler was patient, an unusual trait in his personality he observed, but he was unwilling to rush Sebastian. If he truly was a virgin in all matters of a sexual nature then he would be nervous and uncertain, easily scared by fast gestures. Claude couldn't put his finger on what was making him so patient and... Tender but he set such concerns aside for the moment.

Seconds ticked by like hours as they simply sat, their chests nearly pressed together, staring into each other's eyes.

Finally, and much to Claude's thrill, Sebastian broke the monotonousness of their staring contest and leaned forwards; slowly pressing their lips together hesitantly.

Claude sighed contentedly at the sweetness of the kiss, again noticing that he was not himself and would usually already be claiming the younger man's mouth with fervour, but he stopped himself and allowed the attractive artist to do as he pleased. At least until he wasn't so tentative and nervous that is.

Sebastian leaned forwards slowly, resting his hands on the butler's shoulders as he did so; hesitantly pushing onto his knees and pressing even closer to him. He slid one hand up his neck steadily until he was cupping his cheek and tilted his own head to one side slightly as he experimentally brushed his tongue along the line of Claude's closed lips, going on what he recalled of their previous kiss to guide his virgin actions.

Sensing what the younger man wanted, he parted his lips and let out the smallest of moans as a warm tongue invaded his mouth. The apprehension was still there, he felt, but it was decreasing rapidly in the midst of excitement and arousal.

When they parted for much needed air, Sebastian's face was flushed and his eyes darkened with desire and Claude wasn't in much better shape. Discarding his glasses on the bedside, he slowly pushed Sebastian down and straddled his waist, pressing against him almost tauntingly. The younger man looked up at him in surprise and let out a gasp as his loins began to ache mildly at the contact it was so unused to.

He let his hands drop to his sides as his body stung with boiling blood which gushed through his veins twice as fast for the pleasure beginning to lodge within him. He didn't think he had it in him to touch Claude whilst being touched; his brain was in overdrive and the heat flushing his skin and body was making it doubly hard for his brain to actually work.

The butler was amused by the expression on Sebastian's face; it was mid way between lust, nervousness and excitement. He actually looked like he was going to cry which was a little unnerving.

"Sebastian..." Claude leaned down and brushed his lips over his ear softly; soothingly, "Just say if you want me to stop and I will."

The other blushed slightly and arched as his warm breath puffed over his neck and was followed by swift, soft lips, "N-not yet." He replied shyly.

Nodding in confirmation, Claude ran his hands down Sebastian's sides and rested on his slim hips; Claude himself relocated to between the youth's long legs and leaned over him to fasten their mouths together once again.

Rubbing firm circles into his hips with his gloved thumbs, Claude elicited small moans from the man beneath him who appeared sensitive to even the smallest of touches. He felt strangely proud that it was he who was getting to see this side of Sebastian and not someone else. Ash for example, had an unhealthy fascination with the young artist, in Claude's opinion at least.

Casting thoughts of the Queen's butler aside, he slowly delved his hands up under the young man's shirt, brushing his fingers up the skin of his ribs and abdomen. He bit the inside of his lip as he watched Sebastian arch up into the touch and relinquish mewling whines.

His hands ghosted up his chest, massaging his surprisingly taught chest before sliding all the way down to his hips again. With a bite of his tongue, Claude unbuttoned the now offending article of clothing and pushed it away, revealing the wonderfully alabaster chest and stomach.

Sebastian's cheeks flushed and he wriggled slightly under Claude's intense; appreciative gaze and swallowed heavily, "Claude..." he whined.

The butler's eyes snapped up to the equally delectable view of Sebastian's flushed face, parted lips and glazed over eyes; guessing what the younger male wanted he leaned back over him and closed his mouth over his, slipping his tongue into his mouth and moaning at the taste which could only be described as Sebastian.

Meanwhile, his hands brushed lower down his hips while they kissed and he dipped his fingers under the waistband of his trousers, slowly unfastening them with a few deft movements. As he went to lower them his wrists were suddenly gripped by Sebastian's warm hands and he stopped his actions instantaneously.

The artist prised his mouth from Claude's, and while panting quite heavily in the aftermath of their kiss, he looked up at Claude uncertainly, "I'm... Not ready for that..." he said quietly.

Claude could see the apprehension in the other's eyes and smiled faintly, he leaned down and nibbled in his bottom lip while moving his hands away from his trousers at once, "That is not a problem." He replied, "As I said... All you had to say was stop and I would do so. There is no need to look so panicked."

He blushed slightly at the other's words and lifted his head up, kissing him again deeply and with a little more confidence. He released his wrists and looped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him down closer and letting out a partial moan into his mouth as Claude's thigh pressed against his growing excitement.

Not realising the implications of his actions, Claude removed his gloves and set them down on the bed beside them both, sliding the shirt of the man beneath him off completely and dropping it onto the bed beside them before returning his hands to his body.

Sebastian eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he saw a strange marking on the back of one of Claude's hands. He reached out and took his hand, looking at the marking with puzzled eyes.

Claude faltered and tried to pull his hand away but Sebastian's grip merely tightened as he examined the marking; he swore inwardly and prepared himself to have to knock the man out.

"You are one of _them_." Sebastian whispered softly, his expression relaxing.

"Sebastian?" he swallowed in perplexity.

His eyes widened abruptly as Sebastian's back arched and he let out an ethereal cry. He half leapt off the bed in shock and stared as Sebastian fell limp and unconscious; at the same time a mist overtook Claude's own mind and he fell towards the floor, passing out before he hit it.

"_Sebastian!"_

_The amber eyed boy looked around and watched a woman with long locks of auburn hair ran out of his house with a thick jacket; he handed his backpack to the stranger who was acting as his guide and ran back towards her. He threw his arms around her legs and held on tightly, "I'll be okay Mother." He pulled back and smiled up at her as the large flakes of icy snow fell around them and froze in their hair, he closed his eyes as he felt her wrap the jacket around him and he slipped his arms into it so she could button it shut._

"_I know you will... But I cannot help but worry. That place if full of darkness and demons..." her voice was soft and warm like honey, "Just promise me you will keep yourself safe and... Try not to get into trouble..."_

"_Mother you worry too much... I'm going to learn to be big and strong! No one will pick on me then! And I will be able to keep you safe from harm!" he beamed at her before sighing at her sterner expression, "I promise Mother."_

"_Good boy." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead before she stood and ruffled his hair, brushing away the snow from his black locks, "And I will see you soon."_

"_Of course Mother." He smiled and hugged her once more before he turned and ran back to his guide._

_The man handed him back his bag before grasping his hand a little too tightly and began walking with him again. Sebastian glanced back once and waved to his mother; then he looked forwards and watched the man leading him turn to him and rest a hand on his shoulder. He held onto him tightly and gulped before gasping at the world spun so fast he was sure he was going to be sick and for a split second they were in a place with nothing by darkness._

_When the world ceased spinning and the darkness lifted, Sebastian was released from the grasp of his guise and he looked around._

_His eyes widened as the first thing which caught his attention was the vast expanse of scarlet sky above him; his eyes latched secondly onto the pitch black moon which hung over them like a noose._

_Only when his sleeve was tugged by his guide did he look around at where they had actually landed. His amber eyes met those of his guide which had now turned dark pink with black and white flecks. He trembled for a moment as he watched the man's human skin shred and give way to reveal his demonic form, "Do not fear, child." The man said to him, "Whilst you are here no one shall harm you, lest they desire he master's wrath to be rewarded with."_

"_D-Do... All demons look like... You?" he asked a little nervously._

_The man threw back his head, rivets of blood red hair gusted in the breeze as he revealed particularly sharp teeth as he cackled. He recovered shortly thereafter and looked back at Sebastian, fixing him with a gaze that could only be described as ravenous; he reached out and upped Sebastian's cheek, "If only all children had the same innocence."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?"_

"_All demons have a primary and secondary form. If we are contracted in the human world then we will portray ourselves in our humanoid forms but for the most part when we return here to our true home we show ourselves predominantly in our demonic forms."_

_Sebastian tilted his head to the side as he thought about it; also slightly unnerved by the way the demon was looking at him and still touching his cheek, "Will I have two forms?" he asked._

"_Mm... It depends on your level of ability." He replied with a shrug and finally pulled his hand back, "We should hasten inside before others are drawn by your scent."_

_Sebastian frowned at this but looked around at the biggest mansion he had ever seen and his eyes nearly popped out of his head._

_The building was comprised of a black stone of unfathomable darkness while the stone around each of the many windows and the front door was silver. The entrance itself was a double door composition and was of a deep reddish mahogany with stained glass windows in the two half of it; centred with a black knocker that looked like a rose._

_Above and around the double doors was an elegant porch with a total of fourteen buttresses holding the marble-like stone up; and leading up to the entrance was a set of creamy stone stairs, upon which Sebastian and his demonic guide had arrived._

_Overwhelmed by the grandeur of the mansion, Sebastian finally felt some eagerness to meet the Lord who lived here. His guide, whose name had not been divulged to him, led him up the remainder of the stairs and opened the mahogany double doors. He gestured for him to step inside ahead of him and Sebastian did so willingly._

_He held his jacket around himself tightly as he looked around the foyer of the magnificent building and swallowed heavily, his shoes clacked softly against the white marble floor and he turned on the spot, trying to get a good look at the hall._

_The walls were burgundy which black lining where the wall met the floor and ceiling; thick black beams ran across the dark plaster ceiling and an enormous; luxurious chandelier hung down from the lofty and high ceiling above casting down a brilliant source of light which lit the entire room with ease._

_There was an abundance of paintings and portraits hung around them, each framed in gold and hung meticulously to the point of being fastidious in the excessive._

_Around the edges of the room were a couple of tables, each laddened with black lace doilies and pots of red and black roses. It was, pleasantly stylish and yet homely at the same time._

_What was the point of all this gallantry if you could not be happy with where you lived and how you lived after all?_

_He was lead across the foyer and to the right of the grand staircase, through a dark mahogany door and into a small waiting room. There were four three seat black leather sofas with scarlet velvet cushions in the room as well as two pine bookcases and a three silver candelabras._

"_Please wait here for a moment while I see if my master is free."_

_Sebastian sat on the end of one of the sofas and watched the demon sweep across the room, wishing a leathery tail behind him as he knocked three times on the door and stepped inside._

_The child looked around nervously, eager to meet the Lord but also very concerned that he would come across as a disappointment. He swallowed hard and nibbled his bottom lip as he held his coat around himself tightly; inhaling the scent of home he wondered if his Father was giving his Mother a hard time again._

_He sighed, he knew he should no longer consider that man his Father but it was difficult to do and unlike his 'Father' he did not hate his mother for having had an affair with another man. In fact he was rather glad that that brute was not his blood relation, even if it did mean that he was a bastard child._

_The door opened again and his guide stuck his head out, "My Master is ready to see you now." He called over and watched as Sebastian hastily got to his feet and hoisted his bag up on his back before scurrying over to the door as he let him into the next room._

_Sebastian swallowed again, his nervous overtaking any eagerness he had previously felt as he was let into the study. He found himself looking at a large mahogany desk which had several stacks of paper and two highly decorated inkwells._

_Behind the desk was a large, high backed leather chair which was facing away from him; preventing him from seeing the occupant._

"_You may leave us Duke." The voice which came from the person seated in the chair was like liquid chocolate, it was smooth and totally the opposite of what Sebastian had been expecting._

_He looked around as his former guide bowed lowly and retreated from the room. Sebastian then looked back at the chair and he licked his lips nervously as the chair began to turn around._

_His eyes widened as he saw the man seated in the chair and he was at least grateful that he was in his human form but at the same time he was shocked by what he saw all the same._

_The man, no, the Lord had pale skin which looked like alabaster; he was lean framed but by no means weak; his eyes were dark amber and framed by long black eyelashes. His hair was as black as Sebastian's and cut in a very similar way._

_There was a pleasant smile on his plump lips as he observed the boy before him, "So... You are Sebastian Michaelis?"_

"_Y-yes... Sir." He replied, wondering if he should bow to the man or not._

"_Come closer, I wish to see you properly."_

_Sebastian almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to comply with his wishes and hurried around the table and watched as the man turned his seat and observed him._

_Shuffling slightly under his scrutiny, Sebastian was pleased when the man's dark amber eyes finally relaxed and a smile graced his face once again, "You are more perfect than your Mother told me in her letters."_

"_My... My Mother wrote to you?"_

"_But of course. It was necessary for her to inform me of your birth, Sebastian. We have been privately conversing since she was six months pregnant."_

_He frowned slightly and looked down for a moment before looking up at him, "Because you're a demon?" he asked._

_He chuckled lightly and rested a hand on his head, "Indeed. Your Mother knew that if a child was conceived during her affair it would likely be half demon. And in that outcome she would require help, advice and moreover when the child reached the age of ten she would have to send him or her to the Hell Plains for training, or else the child could develop demonic powers and have no restraint, killing humans mercilessly and without consideration."_

_He gulped, "And... I am that child?"_

"_Yes." He replied, "You are a rarity. For few demons ever mate with humans and even less of that percent impregnate the human, or are impregnated by them. Why I do believe there have only been three other in the history of the Hell Plains."_

_He licked his lips again, mulling over the information he had been given. It was all a lot for a ten year old like him to take in but for some reason it made sense. No wonder his Father hated him so much. His Mother had been impregnated by a demon of all things._

"_Who is my real Father?" he asked suddenly, looking up into the man's eyes._

_There was a faint tickle of amusement in the other's eyes as he observed the child, "Lord__Leviathan Blackwood, King of the Hell Plains." He replied, "Me."_

Sebastian's eyes flew open and he shot from the bed like nothing ever seen before. He was pale, clammy and his heart was thumping in his chest like a drum gone mad. Sickness grew in his gut as he looked around, delirious and lost, no longer recognising where he was or why he was there. His amber eyes bled with pink and before long the red-orange irises were swallowed whole by the demonic shades of pink, black and white.

Claude picked himself up from the floor slowly as he was released from the young man's memory and he watched as Sebastian searched for a way out with a level of desperation he had never seen in anyone before.

Everything made perfect sense now: Sebastian's sweet scent; his age old determination and dedication to his work, his fastidious mannerisms and ticks and his very appearance. Why had he not realised before now?!

He vaulted over the bed and grabbed Sebastian's panicking and flaying body, releasing his own demonic powers so that he might have a chance of restraining him.

"Sebastian! Enough! Calm yourself!" he exclaimed, pinning him into the wall and trying to avoid behind kicked in the crown jewels, "It's alright! It's alright, Sebastian please! Listen to me!"

There was no getting through to him by mere words and brute force, so despite his inner voice telling him that he might get his tongue bitten off, he leaned in and fastened their lips together, thrusting his tongue into the other's mouth while he cupped the back of his head and held him against him; preventing him escaping.

It was several minutes, but finally Sebastian stopped thrashing and fell a little limply in his arms; only then did Claude pulled back and look at the wide, fearful demonic eyes which were looking up at him.

"It's alright Sebastian." He whispered, smoothing his hair gently, "It's all alright... You have nothing to fear here."

"I didn't... Know..." he said shakily, "I had... No recollection... I didn't know..."

"Shh... It will do you no good to get worked into a state again. Just take deep breaths. I am sorry I caused you such a discomfort."

"I... It's not your fault..." he whispered as he rested his head on his chest and put his arms around him tightly.

"Come. I will take you to my room so that you might rest in peace with me watching over you."

Without giving him chance to reply, Claude scooped the young man, no, the young demon up in his arms and carried him from the guest room in a flash of speed. By the time they reached his room, the stressed young demon had calmed enough for Claude to relax slightly.

He couldn't believe what he had learned; this beautiful man was a young demonic soul, and no less, the estranged son of their King.

Sebastian Michaelis was... The Prince of the Hell Plains.

_**To be continued...**_


	5. His Butler, Informing

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist.**

**This was a good chapter to write, if anyone has any questions about my explanation of the Demonic Attraction methods then please feel free to PM me, or to add them into a review.**

**Speaking of reviews, a massive thank you to everyone who has left one, it is hugely appreciated! :3**

**Chapter Five –**

Claude watched over Sebastian as they lay together in his bed, the smaller demon couldn't sleep but he was at the very least calm and relaxing as much as he could in the circumstances.

Still hardly able to believe that the man in his arms; in his bed was a demon prince, Claude ran his fingers through the soft locks of the other's hair as he thought about it.

The dreams Sebastian had told him about now made sense; it was clear to him at least that the dreams represented suppressed or lost memories. Sebastian had admitted to him before that there as a section of his life he just couldn't remember but who would have guessed that it would be the whole section concerning his origins.

And what an origin it was too. Half demons were a true rarity, and to think that there was one before him now was incredible and unbelievable. And he was so perfect in every way imaginable. Shaking his head inwardly at his own thoughts, Claude couldn't believe that he was getting so soft over this one man.

Sebastian yawned weakly and noticed Claude's gaze on him; he sighed quietly, "I'm not going to freak out again. I promise." He murmured.

"I didn't think you would."

Frowning at him suspiciously, "Then why are you staring at me?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten how hot and heavy we were getting before you saw my contract mark and remembered everything?"

He went scarlet in the face and looked away, embarrassment radiating off him, "Haha... I couldn't possibly forget that..." he cleared his throat and wriggled slightly, "Thank you for... You know... Not going any further than I was comfortable with."

Claude chuckled and swooped in, pressing a kiss against his cheek, "You're welcome."

Blushing an even darker shade or red Sebastian shot him a glare before it mellowed into a smile, "So... Are you the only demon in this household or are the other servants?" he asked.

"Hannah and the triplets are demons as well. In practical terms the triplets are technically Hannah's subordinates."

"Really? Huh... What Timber said kind of makes sense now." He sighed and rubbed his forehead, "This is so weird..."

"Try not to get stressed over it." He murmured, "Just take it a little step at a time. I will help you if you want me to."

"Thanks..." he sighed again and stretched before curling up against Claude without thinking, "Am I strong in demonic terms?" he asked suddenly.

"Mm... I couldn't say for sure unless we fought or I saw you fight with someone else. But from your display earlier on I know that _I_ had trouble holding you still while you were panicking."

"Well I guess I have plenty of time to find out."

Claude nodded and looked towards the window, staring out at the dark sky and the full moon.

"The memory I had about the fighting and the burning... What was that about, Claude?"

"There was a war about thirteen years ago. The Plains were invaded by our greatest enemy."

Sebastian frowned faintly before realisation dawned on him, "Angels?"

"Yes."

"But in my dream... Ash said _he_ was an Angel... But he works for the Queen like a contracted demon would."

"I have long suspected that something was amiss with that man but until you mentioned him being in your dream I had no idea what it was." Claude paused, "But, after your dream and the way that man was acting around you I started to wonder. And now your true nature has been exposed along with a few more of your memories I am almost completely certain that he _is_ an Angel; although given his frame of mind that is debatable in character at least."

Sebastian relented a giggle at his final words, his cheeks flushing as Claude fixed him with a curious gaze, "It was funny!" he protested, "He-he."

Sebastian reached over slowly and pressed his palm against Claude's stretching his fingers and linking them through the other demon's, "So tell me about Demonic Attraction." He said suddenly, "Do most demons just get attracted to each other or is it more complicated?"

"Huh?" the golden eyed demon paused in bemusement at the nature of the question before clearing his throat, "Well... It differs from demon to demon. There are, to our knowledge, three different ways that a demon will find a partner. The first is when a demon reaches a certain age and they usually latch onto a childhood friend and usually the attraction is mutual; in cases where it is not mutual the demon in question sometimes requires the assistance of an elder demon to guide them to the correct mate."

"Wow that sounds a little hit and miss..." Sebastian frowned.

"Indeed, however that process is slowly going out of fashion in the wake of new genetic evolution which has given two better and more accurate methods."

Sebastian rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his hand, "What are they?" he asked curiously.

"Patience Sebastian." He smirked in amusement, "The second manner of attraction is mostly used among nobility, such as your good self, and it is a matter of courting. The selection of plausible mates is chosen by older demons that have more experience and are very good at picking the correct suitors for the noble."

"That doesn't sound very romantic..." he grumbled, "If that's how it is I think I'll keep pretending to be a human..."

Claude laughed gently and smoothing his fingers through the other's silky black locks of hair, "Most demons don't care so much for romantic gestures."

"Well that sucks." He pouted slightly, "I like romance and romantic gestures."

The other demon smirked inwardly before smiling at him, "Now, the third manner of Demonic Attraction is when two demons mutually just... Fall in love with one and other. On these _rare_ occasions the dominant mate must be challenged for the right to have his mate's hand."

His eyes practically sparkled, "Oh my... Now _that_ is romantic!"

"I thought you might think that. It is only through the third path that the true _Bonding_ can occur where two demons bond and become as one, their souls forever entwined. They would live together, die together and feel each other's emotions and pains... There is a special ceremony involved in Bonding which can only be performed by a lord or an elder demon." Claude chuckled before he leaned in and kissed the smaller man's ear teasingly, "Which do you think will apply to you, Sebastian? First, Second or Third?"

The amber eyed demon blushed slightly and swallowed as the pressure against his ear sent pleasant tingled over his skin, "Well... I would like to believe that I would simply fall in love. The idea of my life being planned for me isn't something I wish to entertain and as for things simply being hit and miss well that isn't likely seeing as I have no childhood friends."

Smirking slightly, he ghosted his lips down the side of his neck, "And... Would you say you have a type?"

"Type?"

"Yes... A typical type of person you tend to find attractive."

"Uh... No..." he said, his brain becoming more difficult to work as Claude's sinful lips pressed against his Adam's apple and gently bit down with his teeth, "I... Um... I've never found anyone... Attractive before... Not in the way you mean..."

"Oh?" Claude pulled back a little and looked into Sebastian's slightly lusty eyes, "Is that so?"

"Well... I l-like you." He said uncertainly.

He sat back slowly and watched the uncertainty spread across Sebastian's features. He intended to tease the young man a little more before he yielded.

"D... Did I... Read the signals wrong?" Sebastian sat up quickly, pulling the bed sheets around him more securely, "I... I thought... With how nice you had been... And that... That kiss... I..." he swallowed; becoming more and more flustered as Claude remained unresponsive to his words, he went slightly pale, "I... I just thought... I mean... I... I'm sorry... I should..." Sebastian's eyes started to turn pink with black and white flecks as he panicked.

'_Uh-oh...'_ Claude thought to himself as he realised the tell tale signs of a panicking demon.

He crawled over quickly and cupped the back of his head, "Forgive me Sebastian, I was simply teasing you. Calm yourself." He lifted his other hand and cupped the young man's cheek, "I'm sorry."

"Wha-" he frowned and stared at him angrily, "That was horrible! I was so worried then! You total bastard!"

Claude smiled and leaned in, pressing a kiss to his pouted lips, "Don't be like that... I said I was sorry."

"Mm... Well... Give me another of those and I'll consider forgiving you." He mumbled.

The butler demon laughed heartily before he pulled Sebastian against him and pressed their lips together firmly. He felt the slighter man go limp in his arms as the kiss was returned forcefully and with a confidence Sebastian had previously not had.

He let out a gentle groan and slowly leaned over him, pressing him into the mattress and pressing their hips together; he rolled his hips against his the other's and didn't stop until he felt movement beneath the folds of trouser fabric concealing Sebastian's undoubtedly luxurious body from his hungry gaze.

Sebastian tore his mouth free and let out a breathless moan as he stirred within his underwear at the relentless grinding and gyrating. He moaned again and arched up against him eagerly before panting and running his fingers though Claude's hair.

"D... Do you believe in the third method of Demonic Attraction?" he said nervously.

Claude halted the movements of his hips and looked down at him, "I... Used to believe it was a ridiculous idea." He murmured truthfully before claiming Sebastian's mouth, "But now I'm open to anything." He murmured with a small smirk.

Blushing deeply, Sebastian flashed a grin before leaning up and fastening their lips together again; he jolted his hips against his impatiently and whimpered as Claude instantly started his torturous grinding again.

Arching against his touches, Sebastian let out an assortment of moans and whimpers as he allowed Claude to peel away his trousers and leave him clad in only his underwear. He looked up at the larger demon with shy eyes and darkly coloured cheeks.

The golden eyed demon paused at the sight and instantly stored it to memory, it was an adorable expression and he had no doubt that it would be a rarity to see it. He became formulating plans in his head of how he could see that expression again with zeal.

However, setting that aside for the time being he delved into soothing the young male, "Don't worry, I have no intention of doing anything you are uncomfortable with Sebastian." He smiled softly and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips, "However I was hoping to disrobe us both somewhat more than has already done so that you at least might sleep in more comfort than you would if you were still wearing these confining trousers."

"Oh... That's okay then." He smiled sheepishly and watched as his trousers were dropped to the floor.

"Good." Claude murmured and fixed him with another heated kiss.

In a few moments they were both left in just their underwear and lay together on the bed, snuggled under the sheets and interlocked in each other's arms sharing deep kisses which warmed them both right down to their toes.

Their former arousal didn't die down completely but settled into a warm glow which made their skin tingle gently as they touched and rested close together.

"We should probably get some sleep... I must get up and begin my chores in a couple of hours and thus far I have only slept for an hour." Claude murmured as he gently nuzzled the smaller man's neck.

"I agree... Tomorrow I must continue the Earl's portrait." Sebastian yawned widely, "I'm so gonna regret not getting enough sleep."

"Will you regret the reason for not sleeping?"

"Not at all." He smiled and tipped his head, kissing him softly, "I am curious to see where this leaves us though."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Well... I have already told you I like you and... We seem to keep getting pretty hot and heavy when we're in close contact... And you said you hadn't considered the third method until now so..." he licked his lips thoughtfully, "What does it all mean? Where does it leave... Well... Us?"

Seeing the adorable uncertainty cross Sebastian's face was almost too much; he chuckled softly and leaned over, kissing him softly and deeply, stroking his cheek and neck soothingly.

Taken, yet again, by surprise, Sebastian sighed contentedly into the kiss; slowly winding his arms around Claude's shoulders and holding him close as he tilted his head and kissed him back sweetly.

Pulling back a few minutes later, Claude smiled down at him slightly, "Well, at the moment you are a guest in the Trancy household. However, having discovered that you are a half demon, and plausibly perfectly capable of contracting yourself to a human, you could stay here permanently and become a butler beside me?"

"Hmm... You think I could contract myself? I'm not even sure about what 'powers' I might have though. I cannot yet recall my training." He sighed slightly before brushed his fingers over Claude's soft skin, "But I do like the idea of sticking around."

"Well... You will have to reconnect with your demonic powers before you can be called upon to be contracted. But I can help you recover the memories you need."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"And in response to your original question..." Claude looked down at him, "I quite like you too. So I suppose I should take you on a date when I have some free time. What do you say?"

Blushing like a tomato, Sebastian smiled widely, "Sounds brilliant. I'll be looking forward to it!"

"Good."

Claude laid back down and pulled Sebastian against his chest, holding him close as they snuggled up under the sheets.

It was a couple of hours later when Claude had to get up to begin his butler duties. He detangled himself from the still sleeping demon beside him and smiled to himself as he ran his fingers through his hair and slipped his glasses onto his face and slid out of bed, he stretched and pulled a fresh uniform from the simple wardrobe next to the window.

It was still dark outside, and he preferred it that way. He washed himself down with a damp cloth and soap, drying himself off before he got dressed. As he knelt down and tied his shoe laces, he glanced up at Sebastian; he smirked slightly as he watched the younger man as he rolled over and curled himself around the pillows like a sleeping cat would.

'_No need to wonder what sort of animal instinct this demon has...'_ he thought to himself with a soft chuckle as he opened the window slightly to allow some fresh air into the room.

He straightened up and pulled on his gloves; then picked up the clothes which had been discarded on the floor so carelessly beforehand. He folded them neatly and dropped them into the washing basket. He would have Thompson pick it up later.

With a reluctant sigh he headed back to the bed and smoothed the sheets around the sleeping man. He leaned down slowly and pressed a kiss against his forehead, "Sleep well. I shall wake you in a few hours." He murmured.

Without another word, Claude hastened out of the room, and began his routine of waking the other demonic servants. The Thompson triplets came first before he dared to approach Hannah's room. Contrary to popular belief she was not always the pleasant, nice lass she presented herself as; considering that on more than one occasion she had tried to shoot Claude for waking her up. She had only succeeded once of course; that had been the first time he had done so, so he had assumed that it was within her rights to have been surprised by his intrusion.

Shaking his head with amusement, he entered the triplet's rooms and lit the candles he knew were on the counter just beside the door; he looked around at the large but simple king sized bed which housed the three demons and recalled the trouble he had had sorting out the sleeping arrangements of these three.

This room had started off with three single beds inside, but every morning when he came to wake them, he found the beds had been pushed together and the triplets were sleeping soundly side by side.

Then he had tried bunk beds; it had been a hell of a struggle to find a furniture maker willing to make a triple bunk bed. And then he had walked in the morning after putting it in the room to find the triplets asleep on the floor; the mattresses from each bunk on the floor side by side and the three demons in each other's arms once again.

In the midst of his frustration Claude had eventually given up and put a king sized bed in, which they had been more than happy with.

With a sharp clap of his hand he woke them, "It is time to get up and finish the preparations for the day." He announced as the three of them slowly and groggily sat up in bed; their usually pristine hair in a matted mess which made it next to impossible to tell which triplet was which. Except for Timber who was looking sheepish, he clearly had not forgotten the pasting Sebastian had given him.

Smirking inwardly, Claude gave them a stern look, "Thompson, you will focus on the laundry today, Canterbury will see to the washing up of any left over dinner wares and Timber..." he paused, "You will see to preparing the master's breakfast."

Upon receiving a sharp nod from each of them, the head butler of the household retreated and headed down the corridor and up a small flight of steps to Hannah's room; preparing himself to dodge whatever weapon she might hurl at him today.

He knocked three times before pushing open the door and stepping inside; as he opened his mouth to announce himself he realised that the room was empty and the bed was already made. Had Hannah gotten up before he had? That would truly be a phenomenon and a half.

Using his demonic powers to sense out hers, he was startled to sense her on the roof of the mansion. Frowning deeply, Claude left her room and headed to the top floor before accessing the roof via the trap door in the ceiling of the attic.

He closed the trap door behind him and glanced around, seeing Hannah sat prone near the edge of the roof. Curious, he walked over slowly.

"Hannah?" he called, "What are you doing out here?"

She looked around at him, her demonic powers flaring as her pinked eye glared at him for a moment before relaxing, "Claude... I have yet to sleep."

"Hmm? That is most unlike you. May I inquire why?"

"I sensed Sebastian last night. He is a demon isn't he?"

"He is a..." he paused and frowned as he considered how much he could tell her without invading his _lover_'s privacy, "A half-breed. Half demon and half human."

"Truly? Now that is a rarity."

"Indeed."

"There is more to it is there not? I can tell from your expression."

Sighing heavily at her perceptive abilities he looked out over the grounds, "His father... Is Lord, no, King Leviathan." He murmured.

"W-What?!" she gasped in disbelief, "B-but that is-"

"Incredible? I know." He smiled faintly before his expression stiffened again slightly, "So why _are_ you out here? Surely Sebastian's reawakening powers did not stop you from sleeping all night."

She sighed and looked back out over the mansion grounds, "No, another presence has been however. I sense an Angel in the grounds. Lingering nearby."

Claude's eyes narrowed abruptly, "An Angel you say?"

"Yes, why?"

"I know who it is. And I wager that I know why they are here."

"Who? Why? What do you know Claude? Is the master endangered by this?"

"The Queen's butler Ash. He wants Sebastian. And I am uncertain." He answered chronologically.

They sat quietly for a few minutes before Claude sighed heavily, "Alright, I am going to go and have a word; hopefully clear him the hell off the master's land. If you would be so kind as to delegate waking the master up to Thompson while you take over his duties."

"Will you be alright alone?"

"Of course." He scoffed, "Oh... But if this takes somewhat longer than planned please would you go to my quarters and wake Sebastian."

She paused and blinked, "Excuse me? Why on Earth is he in your quarters?"

"Because he cannot recall any of what his Father taught him and considering that he had just regained his power and knowledge of his powers I thought that keeping him close by might be somewhat better than him suddenly losing control of his powers and destroying the whole estate." He said quickly before he paused, "And..."

"And what?" she prompted.

"And I intend to take him on a date when I next have time off." He finished, almost shivering at the idea.

"You mean you and he are-"

"No. Not yet." He interrupted sharply, looking down over the edge f the mansion, "You know the laws. A demon of nobility must be courted with the upmost respect and dedication. Sebastian may not remember that at the moment, but I have no intention of taking advantage of him. He has confessed to me that he is somewhat _fond_ of me and... I am of him."

"Claude..." she sighed.

"Is it so wrong to believe in the third manner of Demonic Attraction?" he asked, "I have long believed that there is no such thing however... The moment I saw him sat in the park I felt a _spark_."

She sighed and rubbed her forehead, "Claude... What you speak of is dangerous. Many demons who have taken the path of the third method have failed the challenges set to them and have been killed."

"I know that. However I believe that he is worth it."

"My goodness you have it bad."

Letting out a small laugh before silencing it again, "Perhaps."

Claude glanced to the sky before he let out a soft breath, "I will go and find Ash and remove him from the estate. I will see you shortly."

"Of course." She nodded once before disappearing back down the trap door.

The butler looked around the grounds from his vantage point and located Ash's _presence_. Without another thought he leapt from the roof and faster than the human eye could follow he approached the Angel's hiding place in the trees.

He slowed as he saw a flash of white wings before the other regained his full mortal form and folded his arms, "Ash. I do believe you have far overstayed your welcome."

"I simply desire to see that no harm comes to my precious Sebastian." The white haired man replied modestly.

"He has remembered his heritage." He stated calmly, "But he has not remembered all. What do you know of his amnesia?"

Ash looked shocked for a moment before a sly smirk etched onto his lips, "Why should I tell the likes of you, demon?"

"Because I am forcing myself to remain calm for Sebastian's sake. He may need what information you have."

"Then allow me to give it to him in person."

"Never. I would have no way of stopping you _giving it to him_ in more ways than one." He said coldly.

The Angel laughed, "Oh demon you humour me greatly. I will not lie... I greatly desire Sebastian. And I have done since we met. But he is one fruit I have tasted already. I would simply be taking a second bite."

Claude's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Haha maybe I should leave you guessing on that one."

The demon growled and dropped his arms to his sides, "Tell me now Ash."

The Angel seemed to consider it for a moment before he simply shrugged and sat down on the branch he had been perching on, "If there was ever a person to ask about why Sebastian has no memories it would be me for I was the one who caused him to lose them."

"Why would you do that to him?"

"Because..." he tilted his head and licked his lips, "After I discovered him running through the forest in the Hell Plains I knew I wanted him. I wanted him as I had never wanted anything before in my life. Despite my appearance I was already in my fifties, still immature by Angelic standards but old enough to have begun to take an interest in such things; although Angels are not supposed to fall for you demons he was different. He was half human. He was half redeemable."

"And what does that have to do with it?"

"Everything!" Ash exclaimed, "I returned him to the human world and watched as he ran off towards his home and I knew _I could not let him go_! So I took him. I transported us to a distant place where no human would search for him and where we could stay for a time without worry of the war which was occurring between our people. He was not easily persuaded to stay though."

Ash frowned at the memory and looked towards the house, "I wanted him to be my mate, I wanted to _Bond_ with him." He sighed heavily, "So I kept him by my side by force. I never had him sexually, for I was most certainly too young for such acts, no, I merely held him close to me and murmured sweet nothings to him. Have you yet discovered his romantic side? He so loves to be wooed like a medieval princess. It is most endearing."

Grinding his teeth slightly in impatience and disgust, Claude ground his answer out, "Yes I have encountered his romantic side."

"Oh? Then you are interested in him?"

"Of course. Anyone with half a brain would be interested in such a man, half demon or not."

"Then I cannot fault you completely. You have some taste at least." Ash chuckled before swinging his legs, "At a time, Sebastian became agitated and wished to return to his family and learn of what had happened to his _Father_. I was angered by this. And I allowed took from him what he treasured. His memories. All Angels have such a power, to nullify memories and thoughts. I used it upon him and wiped out all the memories concerning his demonological heritage, his precious Father, his training, teachings and fears. I sent him back to his family, spiteful and angry. Of course, soon after that they moved, and without my knowing I lost him. And I have searched so hard to discover him again. Now that we are both older... I feel I may have a better chance."

Claude stepped forwards, "Never!" he cried, "Sebastian wants nothing to do with you, he has confided his heart's desires to me and I know what he wishes for; who he wishes for. And it is not you, Angel. Now leave these grounds before I throw you out!"

"Who is it?" Ash was on his feet in a flash and shot down from the branch to stand before Claude properly, "Who does he desire with his heart?! I want to know!"

"I will never confide his needs to you." He half snarled, "Now leave!"

"Fine!" Ash yelled, anger coursing through him like lava, "But I will take Sebastian from you and I will make him my own!"

"I will never let that happen."

"You... You will have no choice Demon."

There was a flash of blinding light and Ash was gone; Claude was furious and wanted nothing more than to run to Sebastian's side and hold him close. He growled in agitation and returned to the mansion, fully intending to murder that bastard Angel the very next time they crossed paths.

_**To be continued...**_


	6. His Butler, Hunted

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist.**__

_**(King/Lord Leviathan, Berwick, Derrick and Logan are my own characters)**_

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support, I love reading your comments and they really keep me motivated!**

**Chapter Six –**

Sebastian blushed as his chair was pushed in for him and he made himself comfortable in it before he watched Claude seat himself down opposite him; he offered the larger demon a shy; uncertain smile before clearing his throat and looking around at the tavern they were in.

As promised, Claude had taken him on a date the first chance they both had. It was only a few days since Sebastian and Claude had learned of his heritage and already the butler had taught Sebastian a bundle of information and tactics for concealing his identity as a demon.

He could now use low level incantations such as how to conceal himself from sight in the shadows; using the healing salve in his saliva and blood; he could just about manage to regenerate a finger or toe and he had touched upon magnifying his strength and speed. He was a fast learner, even by demonic standards; Claude had put this down to his semi-royal blood.

But now, they were both having a relaxing evening away from the mansion, together. The tavern was outside of London in a large village, it was a large building and quick full with evening drinkers.

Claude pushed the menu across the table with a smile and interlocked his gloved fingers, "Choose whatever you fancy." He murmured.

"Does that include what's **not** on the menu?" he asked with a sly smirk.

"Hah, you will have to wait and see won't you?" he rebuffed with a smirk equal to Sebastian's.

After a few moments glancing over the tavern style food, Sebastian settled on a simple steak pie with potatoes; Claude ordered the same as well as a bottle of red wine.

"So," Sebastian said as he sat forwards and rested his chin on his hand, "How long have you served Earl Trancy?"

"Coming up to two years. It feels like a lot longer however." He chuckled gently and nudged his glasses up his nose.

"I can imagine. He doesn't seem like the easiest boy to deal with..." he trailed off.

Claude laughed gently, "Indeed you are correct, a child he may be but he has the mind of a villain and the sexual appetite of a demon." He shook his head, "He whines constantly; he has very few manners; he tries to grope me whenever I am in range and he is utterly obsessive." He shook his head, "I often find myself wondering why, why on earth did I accept the contract with him. In honesty he does not even seem to have a goal for me to accomplish so at the moment it appears impossible for me to find freedom unless I murder him with my own bear hands."

Sebastian tilted his head slightly, "Would you ever go that far?"

He remained silent for a moment before sighing, "Yes. If he tried to come between you and I, or if I saw no other way."

He blushed slightly as he heard his reasons and looked down and his hands, "So... This you and I business... What does it mean exactly?" he asked as he looked back up at him, clearing his throat at the warm smile on Claude's lips.

"You and I..." he shrugged, "We have already admitted we are more than a little fond of each other, and I have no desire to have you leave the estate. In fact I would be pleased to have you stay full time, maybe disguised as a new butler I am uncertain." He tilted his head, "However, what you want matters to me also so I would not force anything upon you. So allow me to ask you, what do you want to come from the mutually attraction we share?"

"I..." he blinked, gulping slightly at the prospect of being able to decide it for himself, "I... I do really like you and... I feel that we may have a mutual attraction; maybe the third method of Demonic Attraction could apply. I know I would like it if that was the case. As I feel very... Attracted to you constantly and I... Have no desire to lose that."

Claude smiled at the news and reached over, unashamedly taking one of Sebastian's hands in his, "If you truly wish for us to travel the route of the third method then I will happily accept. When you have recovered you memories and full abilities we would have to travel to the Hell Plains so that I can be challenged for the right to have you as my mate. But I would fight every demon in Hell to claim you. You must understand that taking the third method will make us **life-mates**__that is to say, will we be together until the day one or both of us dies. There is a ritual to bind our existences together but that is normally performed after the challenge has been successfully overcome. Are you alright with that?"

"Sounds like we have a plan then." Sebastian pulled his hand back as their food arrived and smiled sheepishly over the plates at his now official lover and unofficial life-mate, "And of course I am alright with that. The mere sound of such a thing sends my heart into flutters." He added before picking up his fork and tucking into his food.

The food and wine was good, not as good as Claude cooked, but it was tasty none the less. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Sebastian jumped slightly, feeling a foot slyly brushing the inside of his left calf. A quick glance at Claude confirmed that the butler had slipped off his shoe and was now teasing him playfully.

The amber eyed male blushed slightly and cleared his throat, sipping his wine; as the door to the tavern opened and happened to look in that direction and he frowned slightly at the look of the six burly men who entered.

They were all clad in what looked like leather tunics and deerskin trousers, under heavy looking jackets he could see the outlines of what looked an awful lot like weaponry.

Claude followed Sebastian's gaze and his own golden eyes narrowed, "We should leave. Quickly." He hissed, slipping his shoe back on.

"What? Why?" he asked with a confused frown.

"Can you not smell them?" he asked again as he slowly rose to his feet, trying to blend in, "They are hunters."

"Hunters?" he repeated

"Never mind, I will explain it later just... Come with me now, and **do not** make eye contact with them." He said quickly, resting a hand on Sebastian's back as they moved towards the exit.

They passed these _hunters_, as Claude had called them, and escaped back onto the street. Sebastian glanced up at the sky and groaned: it had started to snow since they had entered the tavern; he glanced back and gasped silently as one of the men glanced out of the door at him and their gazes locked together.

His legs gave out abruptly and his stomach erupted into pain; he let out a cry and fell into the inch thick snow on the floor, holding his gut. Claude stopped and looked around, he glanced up as the tavern doors flew open again and swore, scooping Sebastian up in his arms and running from the tavern as fast as his legs would carry them both.

He heard yelling behind them, glancing around in time to see several more hunters join the six which had been in the tavern. He swore under his breath and pushed faster, Sebastian's pain was already beginning to die down but he wouldn't be able to run for a good ten minutes longer.

He had no choice; he would have to reach somewhere shady and convince Sebastian to use his power to conceal himself from sight. If these here hunters were as well trained as he well suspected them to be, simply concealing themselves would not be enough. He would have to distract them and hope Sebastian had his wits about him enough to run as soon as he could.

Finding himself wondering what demon hunters were doing in this part of the world, when they were more commonly founded in the Germanic and French regions.

He shook the thoughts aside, seeing a small wood coming up ahead; he glanced back and saw that the hunters were close on his trail. No longer holding back he shot into the wood, his speed limited by the weight of carrying another demon with him; he danced through the trucks of the old oak trees, the pine trees, the evergreen trees. And came to a very large, very sacred tree; sacred to those of demon blood at least.

He scampered up into the tall branches and shadowy branches of the giant yew tree and set Sebastian down on one of the branches and crouched in front of him.

"Sebastian?" he breathed.

"Nngh?" came the pained; weak reply.

"I need you to enact the Rite of Shadow." He told him, brushing some strands of his hair behind his ears, "I need you to remain concealed until you can move again; then you need to run okay?"

"Uh-huh... What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you as soon as you run." He lied, it was thirteen on one, he may have been one hell of a butler but there was only so much he could do given the incomprehensible odds.

"'Kay." He mumbled; as Claude pressed a kiss to his forehead he closed his eyes and instantly became cloaked in the darkness of the tree.

Claude stepped back and looked towards the source of crunching noises. He rolled his shoulders before dropping down from the tree and flitting towards the hunters who dared harm his lover. He was no able to use his full speed, no longer weighed down he arrived at the sight of their stomping; jeering; thudding; swiping convoy.

He kept out of sight for the time being and listened to their conversation.

"If we have lost them, her Ladyship will be beyond angry! She said she hired us because we are the best! If we let her down she'll kill us all, without hesitation I tell you."

"Silence, Berwick." Another voice snapped, "Speaking of the Lady will bring her swooping down upon us faster than a hurricane."

"Oh yes... Swooping-" Berwick rolled his eyes, "_Swooping_ is bad. Honestly Derrick, your inability to realise that her Ladyship is **not** a witch is truly annoying. Her Ladyship does not _swoop_ anywhere."

"How do you know?" Derrick chided, "Have you ever see anyone who has failed her walk out of her chambers again?"

There was a moment of silence, "All the same... She doesn't swoop."

"Fine, fine have it your own way you imbecile. But I am telling you, if we get back without one of those two demons first it will be all nicely, nicely and then she'll lure us into her bedchambers and the next thing you know: _**ZAP**_!"

"Zap? Really? Derrick you read too many horror stories." A third, more gentle voice sighed.

"Yeah we all would have believed that once upon a time, but now we know that _demons _and _Angels_ exist! How can it be that witches do not?!"

"Silence! Keep your voices down." A fourth voice snarled suddenly, "One of them is nearby. Be on your guard."

"Yes, sir."

Claude observed the hunter who sensed his presence, the man was well dressed; instead of leather he wore proper armour, if he wasn't mistaken the armour was steel. Whoever this _Lady_ was, she had money to be able to afford such equipment. Regardless, the steel clad male was the most dangerous of the group; he was clearly a more experienced hunter, maybe with years and years of experience under his belt.

Nodding slightly to himself, Claude armed himself with the golden cutlery he kept with him at all times and he appeared above them, flinging knives and forks left right and centre.

Four of the hunters were felled with that attack alone; a further two by his second wave and another three with his third sweep.

He dropped down in front of the remaining four, which included the three he had heard speaking plus the steel clad man. His eyes shone pink and black and he snarled dangerously, baring two rather sharp looking fangs at them.

"To act in such a manner, Demon, are you protecting someone dear to you?" the steel clad man asked, wisdom dripping from his voice with each syllable.

"What business is it of yours?" he replied icily.

"Is it your mate you protect?" he continued, "The demon whom I locked gazes with perhaps?"

His eyes narrowed and he growled freely, "I said it is no business of yours."

"We will capture you all the same Demon."

"I have a master whom I am serving, you know by the laws set down you cannot harm or steal any demon who is contracted to a mortal."

"Such laws have no place here, Demon; her Ladyship has no care for such trivialities."

"Ah yes, the _swooping zapping witch_ of whom you spoke?" he asked, "Who is she?"

"That is not fair Demon, tell me who you protect and I shall tell you who sends us."

A bargain? From a hunter of all things? He could not see how it would harm them any further to reveal a little more to get more.

"Indeed, we intend to be mated as soon as we can get to the Hell Plains. I am to accept the Challenge of his guardian when we arrive." He told them.

"The Challenge? Are you telling me that you are just naturally falling in love? Tch, such a ridiculous notion for beasts without restraint such as yourselves."

"I did not ask for your compliance on the matter, mortal. Now tell me of the swooping witch."

"Lady Angela." He shrugged, "She has land in the mountains, Baskerville don't you know."

"A Lady of Baskerville? I thought that it was under the leadership of a Mister Barrymore."

"It was; her Ladyship was originally his maid but she lead a mutiny against his overly cruel leadership and was granted the title by the people of Baskerville Village."

"Interesting."

"Now enough talk, it is time for us to take you back to her Ladyship. It would be better for you and your mate if you did not struggle anymore."

Claude reached into his jacket to flourish more cutlery but discovered he had used up his supply. Curses! It would have to be a hand to hand fight, and against four of them he would have to work his very hardest yet.

He shot forwards, tackling the hunter named Berwick; he exchanged only a few blows before the first was overwhelmed. He twisted on the spot to shield himself against the attack of the second man Derrick. He successfully kicked him away and into the tree opposite before a thin silver cord was wrapped around his neck and pulled.

Damnations! He had lost sight of the more experienced man and as such had been flanked. And now his skin was sizzling under the contact of this specially treated silver chain. His teeth gritted as his vision began to blur, but h was not going to give up like this! He struggled, elbowing the man repeatedly in the gut despite the thick armour covering him.

This was bad. He was started to wheeze and his lungs burned. His was heading towards the abyss. Damnations, he was passing out!

"My! What have we here?! With all these handsome men in front of me, I'm not just gonna leave like Cinderella!" a voice called from above them all.

Claude was released and pinned down on the floor by a heavy boot; as he recovered his breath he looked up in time to see several of the surrounding tree canopies vanish, cut to ribbons by a large... Whirring... _Chainsaw_?

In the hole in the canopy of trees stood a man, a man with long flowing locks of blood red hair, bright green eyes and shark-like teeth; he was garbed in a shirt and waist coat as well as plain trousers and a long red coat which was draped on around his elbows.

What the _hell_ was going on?!

"Oh me, oh my... What an ugly sight lays before me." The redhead almost seemed to skip his way down the tree he was perched on and stood before them with the chainsaw in one hand and a pair of red glasses in the other; he lifted the glasses and popped them on his nose, reassessing the scene curiously.

"Who are you?" the steel clad man demanded.

"Me? To little old me do you speak?" the guy sounded like something out of a Shakespeare play with the way he was talking.

"Yes you! Who are you?!"

"I am a Shinigami to _die for_!" he stuck his tongue out, apparently in some attempt to be seductive, "And who might you be?"

"I'm a demon hunter from Baskerville." He replied gruffly, lifting the silver chain he had used on Claude moments before, "If you don't get out of here I'll kill you right now."

"Kill me? That's not very nice."

"Why are you here?" he snarled.

"Well... You see this big old Death Scythe I have here? This Death Scythe I am using will play a duet with the soul's last moments!"

"Right... So why are you here?"

The Shinigami, huffing at the whole dullness of the matter, flourished a small notebook, "Berwick Nottingham, Derrick Mullen and Logan Lansdale, as well as your other associates, you are all on my list of souls to collect. This is like a big guilt trip of death!" He lifted his Death Scythe again and grinned like a feral cat before leaping forwards and sweeping the chainsaw around like it weighed less than a feather.

Claude watched as his captives were sliced open across their chests; his eyes widened as he watched what he could only begin to imagine was the famed _Cinematic Record_ coil and burst from their wounds, spinning around the like a tornado; showing snippets and flashes of the trio and their lives.

In a matter of moments it was over, the Shinigami lifted a hand and swept it through his ragged ruby fringe; his eyes glinted behind the glass of his spectacles before a daunting grin spread across his lips, "My, my what bad boys you three have been. Oh who is that?"

The red clad Shinigami zoomed in on a particular scene and watched closely as the cell of people before him on the woodland floor were shown in the Cinematic Record bowing on one knee before a young looking woman with a short bob of pure white hair and lilac eyes, wearing a lilac dress and a white shawl.

"L-Lady... An-gel-a..." Logan, the steel clad hunter, ground out, looking up at the Record while slowly bleeding out over the floor.

"This is the woman you were talking about?" Claude finally found his voice as he steadily pushed himself to his feet and groaned as his muscles ached.

"Yes..." he ground out.

Claude's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the Cinematic Record more intently, watching the woman _Angela_ with interest. She looked an awful lot like an Angel he knew, could she be related to Ash? If she had sent these hunters after him and Sebastian in particular then she had to know them personally, which could only suggest she was either related to Ash, in cahoots with Ash or...

His eyes widened suddenly, how could he have forgotten?! Angels could change their forms as easily as demons could!

"Shinigami," he said and turned to the red haired male, "I must leave, release me from this Record. I thank you for your assistance, you are an... Unlikely ally."

"Ally? What's with that clichéd word?" the Shinigami pulled a face at him, "Supreme _love_ is always a battle to the death!"

He blinked, "What? No... Forget it, never mind. Just let me out already." He shook his head.

"Alright, alright give me a moment." He sighed flamboyantly and swung his chainsaw around; taking the souls of the men in question and ending the viewing of the Cinematic Record.

Claude was about to hurry back to where he had hidden Sebastian when the Shinigami latched onto him, "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Are you going back to Sebastian~Darling?" he smiled and fluttered his eyelashes at him.

"You... You know Sebastian?" he asked.

"Of course!" he pouted, "Sebastian~Darling was in the Hell Plains the same time I paid a visit. As soon as I saw that cute little thing with amber eyes and jet black hair I knew we were as Romeo and Juliet!"

He felt a pang of jealousy but pushed it aside, "You were in the Hell Plains? Why?"

"My mentor dragged me over there to see an old friend of his... It was scary as _hell_ but as soon as I saw Sebastian~Darling I was smitten!" he gushed.

"I see... And your mentor is?"

"That would be telling! Just send my undying love to Sebastian~Darling!" he cried and sprang away before dancing off between the trees and out of sight.

Claude blinked and looked ahead, "What the _hell_ just happened?" he asked himself, running a hand through his hair, "Sebastian sure knows some _strange_ people..." he shook his head and ran back to the yew tree where he had left his lover.

He slowed as he reached the tree and his blood ran cold as he saw a flash of white wings above him. He narrowly dodged one of the wings before he watched as Ash landed in the branches of the yew tree and swept away the shadows concealing Sebastian from sight.

The younger demon looked up in shock as he was grabbed by the white haired man and pinned against his body.

"Get off me! Ash! Let go! Let go!" Sebastian thrashed around and tried to wriggle free of Ash's grasp.

"Shh Sebastian." The Angel whispered against his ear as he fixed his lilac gaze onto Claude with a small smirk, "It's time for you to remember everything Sebastian, my precious, remember and return with me... Return to me... I know you desire it... My love." He breathed, lifting his free hand and pressing it against Sebastian's forehead as a purple glow emitted from his fingers.

Sebastian arched at the contact and let out a heart wrenching scream, writhing against Ash as the purple light intensified and his amber eyes turned pink and black.

Claude's mouth went dry and he tensed, longing to rush up and rescue his lover, his soon-to-be mate from the clutches of this... this monster! But he couldn't. There was nothing he could do. There was no way for him to save him from this.

Ash looked down at the butler with a wicked smirk and wiggled his fingers at him before they vanished in a flash, teleported far from the woodland; leaving Claude alone.

Claude looked around and let out a roar of anger, his own eyes flashing pink and black.

_**To be continued...**_


	7. His Butler, Befriending

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist.**

**This took a little longer than normal to write, I had a burst of inspiration followed by none at all *glares* and then when my inspiration returned... I re-wrote the whole thing *shakes head***

**Still! Thank you everyone for such wonderful reviews! Sorry if I haven't gotten back to you via a private message yet, I have been really busy getting my mother ready for a hospital visit next week; I really am very grateful and I hope this chapter entices you just as much as the rest has done :)**

**Chapter Seven:**

The sound dripping of water against dank stone reverberated around the cold; darkened room. The gentle rustle of chains cut through the air like a knife and a groan followed.

Sebastian lifted his head slowly, his muscles aching from having been in the same position for so long; he winced slightly and looked around lethargically at the small square room he was in.

His arms were chained above his head; his shirt had been removed but he didn't remember when that had happened. He remembered the wood, and Claude; those hunters and the pain which had wracked his body after looking into one of the hunter's eyes.

Things got... Kind of hazy after that.

Until he had woken the first time.

There had been candles on the small wooden table in the corner; just enough light emitted by them to show him that the wall opposite him was a wall of metal bars and a cell door. The cell door was open at all times but he couldn't break the chains around his wrists even if he had tried to do so.

Ash had appeared, stroking his cheek and murmuring that everything would be okay once he regained his memories. The white haired Angel had then taken several steps back and picked up a whip that he hadn't seen previously.

"What's that for?" he had asked shakily.

"The power I used to wipe your memories was too strong; I cannot simply undo it... I have untangled what I can but the rest must be brought to the surface through an act of pain. I am afraid I must beat them out of you." The sound of remorse in his voice had been sickening to his ears.

"D-don't... Don't do this..."

"But I must."

The first strike had been the worst. His skin had split and bruised instantly; blood wept from the slash like water from a faucet and had trickled down his chest and abdomen in a slow; dribbling motion. The second strike had been easier to deal with as he had known what was happening, what was coming and he had been able to deal with the sharp; snapping pain which followed the crack of the whip.

He had fixed Ash with a glare, a glare with enough venom to scare the Devil himself. The Angel hadn't met his gaze as he had extracted his punishment, but after what had felt like hours Ash had put the whip down after wiping it clean of blood.

Then he had left. Just like that; without a word to him or a look in his direction. Perhaps his remorse was sincere...

Sebastian groaned as his head throbbed, he closed his eyes and winced as the variety of gashes across his chest and thighs burned.

His eyes flew open suddenly and he let out a cry; it echoed and emanated around the cell. His eyes flashed pink and black and his hands balled into fists as flashes of his father's mansion filled his head; images of a bedroom with fine furnishings and a comfortable king sized bed; he saw his father...

He arched against the wall and wailed as his body went into spasms; a green-blue haze effervesced from his skin, his shadow fluctuating; his nails blackened slowly and grew into sharp, two inch long claws; his skin paled and his wounds began to fizz and heal. He threw his head back and howled, his back felt like it was being split in two.

His eyes widened suddenly as he felt a warm, soft substance stretch over the skin of his back. He panted as the pain slowly receded and he turned his head to the side slightly; his breath hitched as he saw two black feathery wings stretch out either side of him.

"W-wings? W-wings? Are you fucking kidding me?" he breathed, chuckling in dark humour as he shook his head and slumped against the chains, "Wings... Claws... Funny mist... Pink eyes... I wonder what my father is like... I wonder if he's still alive..."

A frown marred his expression for a moment and he gathered his new found stretch and pulled away from the wall, using his wings to lever him as he snapped the chains and dropped to the floor. He took a few breaths and stood up; rubbing his chaffed wrists before he walked out of the cell and looked around.

He saw a set of wooden steps to the left and headed towards them; he ascended them and found himself in a small hallway, it was poorly furnished and the walls were peeling but it looked like the perfect hideaway for a kidnapped demon.

He sighed and looked around, seeing a slightly open door; there was a voice coming from inside the room and he walked over to it, peeking through the gap. He paled at the sight in the room beyond and almost wished that he had stayed chained to the wall.

Ash was sat down in an arm chair, looking out of the window with a disinterested expression while a stranger, to Sebastian's eyes at least, was strung upside down from the ceiling; the stranger was almost completely naked save for a pair of bloodied underpants.

The man had a shock of strawberry blonde hair and looked quite young ~ maybe in his late teens...

There were cuts and bruises all over the unconscious man's nude body; it seemed he had been there for a few days if not longer. There was a table on Ash's other side with an array of instruments laid out quite neatly upon it.

There were knives, syringes, phials of multi-coloured liquid; there was a cane, an aged whip and several gags. Apparently the young man kept biting through them. He felt a swell of pity towards the younger male and wondered if there was anything he could so.

Shaking his head, Sebastian turned and headed for the exit, he could come back with Claude and rescue Ash's victim and that was certainly safer.

He was forced to stop suddenly and wondered how he was supposed to escape without being seen by the general public. These blasted wings would certain attract attention, not to mention he didn't know if they were flying material and he didn't know how to teleport.

Maybe if he found somewhere quiet and tried meditating he could remember something that would help him! Maybe there was an attic or, just somewhere quiet...

He flinched as a sudden gargling from the room he had seen Ash in made his stomach churn. He slowly turned around to look towards the door and faltered as the door opened and Ash appeared.

Sebastian tensed and took a step back as he saw blood dripping down Ash's hand and fingertips, splashing on the floor in bead like spatters.

"An incomplete transformation... Pity. I had hoped that I would not have to strike you again." The white haired male sighed and walked towards him slowly.

Sebastian took a step back for each step Ash took towards him, "Stay away from me..." he warned, not sure what he planned to do if he was ignored, "I want to leave. Now. I have no idea what the hell you expected from me but it hasn't worked so... I am leaving."

The slightly sultry laughter Ash released at his statement made Sebastian's skin crawl, "Do you think that you, a half demon that cannot even make a full transformation, can out run me? I have years of training under my belt, I could recapture you in a heartbeat."

Sebastian took another step back, "Claude will come and find me... He won't just leave me here with you..."

"Come now Sebastian... You have already been here for three days. Do you really think he is looking for you?"

He faltered; swallowing heavily, "N... No... He wouldn't just leave me here!" he yelled.

Ash lifted his hands and the gesture would have seemed calming, were it not for the blood dribbling across his alabaster skin, "Sebastian... Calm down..." he walked towards him again, taking slow and deliberate movements until he had the young demon pinned against the wall, "It's okay..." he whispered, brushing his cheek with his fingers.

Sebastian flinched and his wings batted against the wall impatiently, wanting to break free from the human prison Ash was forming around him; he flinched as his skin was touched and glared at him, "Get away from me. Are you going to string me up like that man in there?" he growled.

The Angel faltered momentarily, "Ah, I see..." he sighed, "I am sorry you had to see that."

"You... You're sorry?!" he exclaimed, "_Sorry?!_ You're _sorry_?!"

"Now, don't get hysterical Sebastian, it isn't good for you." He cupped his cheek and smudged blood over his skin, "If you'll let me explain then you will easily see things from my point of view."

If it hadn't been for the hand on his face, he probably would have yelled at him and hit out but his rather prominent survival instincts forced him to remain

still and placid, "Fine... Can you tell me how to return to normal first?" he asked quietly.

Seemingly happy that he was no longer angry, Ash smiled warmly at the object of his desires and reached down, taking his hands and squeezing them lightly in his own, "Just imagine locking a door on the power."

Sebastian inwardly cringed as his hands were taken but took a breath and did as he suggested, he imagined closing and locking a large black door and turning the key. He winced as his nails retracted and his wings crawled back into his body and his back healed over.

He sagged against the wall as his power sapped momentarily and let out a weak groan. He flinched as he was scooped up in Ash's arms and carried, but his survival instincts kicked in again and forced him not to pull away.

He was laid down on a surprisingly comfortable bed; he looked up at Ash and sat up quickly, "So... You were going to explain?" he asked, forcing himself to remain calm as Ash continually shuffled closer to him.

"Ah... Yes." He sighed, "Well where should I start? What you saw in the other room was little more than my duty as the Queen's butler. Certain of her Majesty's subjects are disorderly and require a more severe punishment."

"So you... Are torturing him on her orders?"

"Yes... I know it is unpleasant but it must be done by someone. As her most loyal subordinate it falls to me."

Sebastian sighed, "Right... Are you going to kill him?" he asked.

"No!" the Angel looked half angry, half confused, "My duty is punishment alone, execution is left for the gallows or the firing squad."

"Oh... I... Sorry."

Why the heck was he saying sorry?

Sebastian sighed and looked away, "When may I leave?"

"Leave?"

"Yes, this is not my home. I wish to return to London."

Ash sighed and reached out, brushing his lips with his index finger, "When you finally remember what I took from you, if you so desire it, then you may leave." He replied, "But I fear you may not desire that at all."

"And why wouldn't I?" he replied icily, ignoring it as blood was smeared on his lips, "Stop touching me Ash, I have no desire to return your sick affections." He snapped suddenly, his patience wearing thin and his survival instincts sulking in the far corner of his mind.

The Angel froze instantly and his hand cracked around, making contact with the side of Sebastian's face. As the dark haired male landed flat on the bed holding his cheek, Ash climbed over him, straddling his waist and pinning his arms above his head forcefully, his grip tight enough to bruise his pale skin.

Sebastian hissed and looked up at him, his eyes bled pink and he tried to use his demonic powers to wrestle Ash away, but he couldn't. He remained pinned down and helpless beneath him.

Ash leaned down slowly and deliberately, taking his tongue to the blood he had formerly patted on the other's cheek. As he lapped the scarlet moisture away he ignored Sebastian's cringing and murmurs of disgust; he gripped both of the man's wrists in one of his hands, sliding the other hand down his chest and to the crossroads of his groin.

Sebastian's eyes widened abruptly and he renewed his efforts to throw him off; letting out a feral growl as the Angel persisted to slip his hand inside his trousers and touch him in a place he had never been touched before; he felt sickened and weak, gritting his teeth as he started kicking out at him.

Receiving a knee in his crotch, the white haired male rolled off to the side and held himself, panting for breath. He cursed as he watched Sebastian fly off the bed in a rush and sprint from the room, unable to follow him until his manhood had recovered.

Sebastian panted heavily and ran from the room, shooting down the corridor and bouncing off one or two of the walls as he ran down the stairs and back to the room Ash had found him in.

Swallowing hard after the encounter upstairs, he felt a chill run through him and knew he didn't have long before Ash recovered and came after him again.

Hurrying across the hallway he pushed open the door to the room he had spied Ash and that young man in. He gagged as he smelled the overwhelming scent of putrefaction, stale blood and oil.

He looked at the limp form of the young strawberry blonde hanging from the ceiling and walked over; he leaned up and unchained his ankles, catching him in his arms and kneeling down with him.

He brushed his fringe out of his eyes and frowned in concern at the light wheeze he was emitting from his chest; it sounded like the young man had a chest infection and he was freezing cold.

Sebastian looked around and saw a thick blanket which was thankfully free of blood; he grabbed it and wrapped the man up in it before he staggered to his feet and rushed back put of the room with him in his arms.

Queen's orders or _not_ he couldn't just leave him here to be tortured.

He looked around in concern, checking that Ash wasn't around before he ran for the door and kicked it open with his foot. He was momentarily blinded as the brilliant sunshine flooded the room; he winced but stepped outside and looked around.

He had no idea where the hell he was but he knew he had to get away. He wouldn't allow himself to be taken again! He ran down the path, out of the gate and onto the street and he just kept running.

The dark haired male only slowed when the man in his arms stirred and woke, at that point he made a quick turning and hid among some long grass and bushes. He laid the strawberry blonde on the ground as he watched his eyes open to reveal bright green orbs beyond the lids.

"Good afternoon." He said softly, "How do you feel?"

"W-where... W-who are you?" he replied in a soft, almost childlike voice.

He smiled comfortingly, "My name is Sebastian Michaelis. We were both captives of _that_ man."

"O-oh... He said that he had a new guest..." he shuddered and rubbed his bare arms, "Why did you... Rescue me?"

"I couldn't just leave you with that... Monster."

"Thank you... Thank you Mister Sebastian!" he started coughing heavily, his chest rattling slightly.

"Calm down... You've got a bit of a chest infection. Once we get back to London I'll get you to a doctor. Now... Why don't you tell me your name and why you were his captive?"

"I don't remember anything before I woke up there, hanging from the ceiling. But he said that he was testing medicine on me." He sighed, "He never let me down, and he never listened when I asked him to stop... He was horrible."

"It's okay now. You are safe. You are free. No one is ever going to lock you away again."

"Thank you..." he paused and coughed gently, "My name is Finnian. Finny for short." He smiled.

"Nice to meet you Finny." He shook his hand gently before picking him back up, "London is about half a mile away now, we might pass a cart heading that way, or a hansom cab."

"Alright Mister Sebastian."

Sebastian walked in silence most of the time, only really speaking when Finny asked him something or if he started coughing. His shoulders were aching in retaliation to when he had been chained to the wall but he said nothing and continued walking down the dirt path.

Sebastian sighed as Finnian fell into a deep sleep again, probably due to the effects of malnutrition and his chest infection; he looked around sharply as he heard horses.

The darker haired man stopped walking at the sound; he could see a black cab with two chestnut mares coming towards them and as the carriage came closer he could see an elderly gentleman driving.

He was surprised when the carriage stopped just up the path from where they were. The elderly gentleman descended from the driver's seat and opened the door.

A small, child-sized hand gestured for Sebastian to hurry up.

Curious, and just a tad puzzled, Sebastian walked over slowly and stood in the line of sight of the doorway, "Yes?"

"You look like you need a lift. Get in."

When he lifted his gaze, he was surprised to meet the piercing blue gaze of a twelve year old boy with dark raven hair, "And who, might I ask, the devil are you?" he asked, quirking one dark eyebrow.

"If you don't get in right now I am going to leave you here," the boy replied coolly.

Sebastian glared momentarily but out of consideration for the male in his arms he clambered into the carriage and watched as the door was shut behind him. The child met his glare with one of his own, his personality clearly making up for his miniature stature; he apparently wasn't a boy to be intimidated even though he was just a child. They stared at each other for several long minutes as the cab started to move again and Sebastian set Finnian down on the seat beside him, letting him continue sleeping but ever once taking his eyes off the teenager before him.

Amber and blue battled silently, neither speaking or moving; they simply stared and glared, scowled and glowered.

The unearthly silence was broken by the boy before him: "My name is Ciel Phantomhive. How might I address you, _**Demon**_?"

'_Ah crap...'_

_**To be continued...**_


	8. His Butler, Contracted

**Thank you for your continued support, I hope this chapter is to your liking. The plot thickens *wink wink***

**This is a Claude x Sebastian fan-fiction, I may add in other pairings as I go along and am open to suggestions on pairings as well. Furthermore, this fan-fiction begins under the pretence that Sebastian is **_**not**_** currently a butler or a demon, and is in fact a free lance artist.**

**Please review!**

**Chapter Eight –**

Amber and blue battled silently, neither speaking or moving; they simply stared and glared, scowled and glowered. The unearthly silence was broken by the boy before him: "My name is Ciel Phantomhive. How might I address you, _**Demon**_?"

Sebastian stared for a moment. _**This**_ was the child his mother had tutored?! The child Earl Trancy had mentioned briefly? Wasn't it a small world?

He jumped slightly as the boy suddenly clapped in front of his face and snapped him from his ponder, "I asked how I should address you, Demon."

"Why do you think I am a demon, Earl Phantomhive?" he frowned.

The boy remained quiet for a moment before he replied, "Your eyes. For a moment, when you were seated there, they changed colour as though you felt under threat. Pink, is hardly the eye colour of a human is it? That aside, you alone appear to have the brass to wander the roads without proper attire. No human would do that."

He glanced down and balked as he realised he was still topless; he instantly folded his arms over his chest and looked out of the window indignantly.

"Here." The teen threw him a blanket from the back of the leather seat and watched the stranger wrap up in it to cover himself, "So, who are you? What is a demon doing here in London?"

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis." He replied and sighed, "And I am only a half demon. My mother is a human, my father a demon. I only discovered this a few days ago after recovering slightly from amnesia... I cannot recall everything from my past but it is returning slowly." He explained, "How can you accept so easily that I am a demon?"

"Because... One of my associates is a Chinaman who deals part time in illegal opium and has an inappropriate relationship with his sister, another is the Chief of Police Inspector Abberline; and another is a creepy silver haired man who works as an undertaker and happens to be a ex-Shinigami." He replied with a tone of distraction, "It is not such a difficult leap to realise that if a God of Death can disguise himself as a human undertaker, then Demons might do the same."

"I can assure you I am no undertaker." He chuckled.

"Indeed."

They were silent for a time and Sebastian fidgeted, "I have been staying with Earl Alois Trancy, but I was kidnapped. I found this young man in the same place that I was taken to. We escaped by I am uncertain whether or not my assailant will follow us. You may be in danger."

"Alois?" he replied, "Are you a servant of his?"

"No not at all, I was commissioned by his butler to do a portrait of him." He replied.

"Claude?"

"Y-yeah... How do you-"

"We have met a few times. Or I should say 'clashed'." He sighed, "I am the Queen's Watchdog, he is the Queen's Spider and sometimes we have to work together; it is most annoying."

"He is a little..." he tried to search for the right word.

"Temperamental?" Ciel offered with a smirk.

"Ah, yes."

The raven haired boy nodded, "I know what you mean and the way he clings to Claude as well is most distasteful. Being too close to one's servants... Tch, it is unacceptably weak."

He felt a pang of jealousy at the thought that Alois was inappropriately attached to Claude, but he also knew that the butler had no feelings towards his master whatsoever. He wondered if Claude was looking for him or if his master had forbidden him from leaving his side again after the attack of the hunters. He hoped not, this boy, Ciel Phantomhive saw too much too easily and it was very worrying.

"Tell me," the teenager said suddenly, "You said your surname was Michaelis?"

"Yes, Earl."

"A few years ago I had a woman tutoring me on my father's instruction. She was a Michaelis too... It isn't a very popular name so I am wondering if the two of you are related."

"Yes, she is my mother."

"Ah I see. I can see some resemblance between you." He murmured, "She was a good tutor, patient and understanding."

"She was a good person." He agreed.

"Was?"

"I don't see her anymore. Her husband didn't approve of me, she had an affair with the demon who is my father and I was the result and he never forgave me for existing. So things got very awkward in the family and in the end we went separate ways. I was disinherited by him."

"I see, I believe I met your mother's husband once before at a conference that my own father took me too. He seems to be a rather unforgiving man."

"He certainly is that." He sighed.

Silence fell over them as the cab rocked slightly as it passed over some stones on the road; Ciel was watching Sebastian with a soundless interest.

"Does your young friend have a name?" the Earl asked as he nodded at the sleeping one.

"Finnian." He replied, "He was being given a drug by our kidnapper, I am uncertain why. He doesn't remember either."

Ciel watched the strawberry blonde curiously, "I will call a doctor when we get to my townhouse and have him checked over and treated for his injuries. If he has nowhere else to go then I have an opening for a gardener among my staff."

"You would employ him? Are you not staying at your estate at this time of year?"

"Why not? If he can be of use and he has nothing else to go back to I can't think of a better way for him to build himself back up." He paused, "And no, after the fire I have been unable to rebuild the Phantomhive estate yet. In time I will be able to do so, however I can hardly be expected to do that alone."

"That seems like a nice idea." He nodded as he listened to him explain about the estate and sighed, "I see... I was sorry to hear about the fire."

"That and some of the pressure needs to be taken off of Tanaka. He is an old man and he can't be expected to do everything anymore..." the teenager purposely and skilfully ignored the comment about the fire.

Sebastian frowned faintly, "Tanaka?"

"The man driving. He was my father's butler and my father's, father's butler and since Vincent Phantomhive's death he has become my butler too. But he can't manage everything and unfortunately I haven't been able to employ any other servants yet."

"Oh I see... Well from what I have learned of Finnian in the short time we spoke, he would probably be very happy to help you." Sebastian said, glancing at the sleeping man beside him.

"Excellent." He looked out of the window, "We will be at my townhouse in about ten minutes I should wager. You are welcome to stay and get yourself sorted out and return to the Trancy Estate whenever."

"Thank you, Earl Phantomhive." He replied, "Could I use your telephone when we arrive? I have a... Dear friend at the Tracy Household who is likely very worried about me."

"Of course, Tanaka can show you the way when we arrive."

"You have my thanks, Earl."

When they arrived at the townhouse, Sebastian picked Finnian back up in his arms and stepped out of the carriage once the door was opened and looked up at the large house. It wasn't as big as a mansion, but it was larger than the normal houses in the area; you could easily tell that it was owned by someone with a lot of money.

Ciel stepped out as well and place his top hat on his head, making him seem at least a little taller as he walked forwards with his cane, Tanaka opened the front door and held it open for his master and their guests.

With no desire to be cornered by the young lord into elaborating any further concerning his own heritage, Sebastian followed Tanaka the butler as he was shown to one of the guest rooms where they left Finnian while Ciel phoned for a doctor.

He was then lead down to the telephone himself as requested so that he could ring the Trancy Household.

Tanaka left him alone in the phone room and he sighed softly as he picked up the receiver and dialled the number Claude had once given him. He closed his eyes as the sound of ringing filled his ears.

His amber eyes snapped open again as he heard the phone pick up and Hannah spoke, "This is the Trancy Estate Household, how may I be of service?"

"Hannah! It's Sebastian." He replied.

"Sebastian?" she repeated, "Where have you been? Claude's been out looking all over for you?! Where are you now? He'll come and pick you up right away!"

"Ash took me to some broken down house out of town... I escaped but he might try to take me again, I'm not sure." He sighed gently, "Uh, I got picked up on the road by Earl Phantomhive, he's taken me to his townhouse to I can get myself sorted out. Is Claude alright?"

Hannah fell silent for a moment, "You're with Ciel Phantomhive?"

"Yeah."

"I see... He and my Master don't really get on. If Claude was to come and get you it might cause problems."

"I know, he said." He paused, "Well I can stay here until tomorrow and then make my way back to the estate if that would be easier?"

"That might be the better option of the two."

He sighed inwardly at the prospect of not getting to see Claude again for a whole night but rubbed his forehead, "So how _**is**_ Claude?"

"He has been enraged since your kidnap, he has the whole house on tender hooks; Timber and Canterbury have been hiding from him most of the time." She replied with a sigh, "He has been looking for you whenever the Master will allow him to do so between his usual duties."

"Will you let him know I'm okay and I will see him soon?" he asked, pining for him even more now he knew how angry he was.

"Of course I will." She replied.

"Thanks Hannah, I'll be back tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Sebastian."

When he hung up the ache in his chest intensified and he longed to feel the Trancy butler's arms around him, calming him and comforting him. He wanted to tell him about the memories he had regained _thanks_ to Ash's torture and he wanted Claude to promise to kill the Queen's butler painfully for manhandling and fondling him in the way he had.

A shiver ran through him at the recollection of Ash's hands on his body and he gritted his teeth, inwardly vowing to get stronger so that he could stop that from ever happening again.

Leaving the phone room, he wondered around heading back to the room he had left Finnian in; when he got there the door was open and he could see the Earl stood at the end of the bed while another man (supposedly the doctor) examined the sleeping male.

Slipping into the room and silently standing beside the young lord, with the towel still held around his nude torso. The doctor looked around at Sebastian for a moment before returning his attention to Finny.

"He has a severe malnutrition and he has a few fractured bones; they are already half healed so there is no point in me doing anything. These deeper cuts will need stitches and disinfectant to prevent infection but he should be fine in a couple of days or so." Sebastian let out a sigh of relief before faltering as the doctor then turned and approached him, "Now then, let me examine you too, you were with him no? So you must have some injuries."

"N-no..." he replied and stepped back, "I am perfectly fine thank you sir."

The doctor glanced at the young earl, who nodded, and then backed down, "Very well, but if you do have any problems let me know."

Earl Phantomhive turned to Sebastian, "Let us retire and allow the good doctor to treat Finnian's injuries." He led the amber eyed male out of the room and down the corridor to a fair sized sitting room; there as already a tray with fresh, hot tea waiting for them both, "Take a seat, Sebastian Michaelis."

Slightly concerned by the use of his full name, Sebastian plonked himself down in one of the two chairs which sat before the roaring fire and watched as the elderly butler from earlier appeared and poured them both a cup of tea before being dismissed until bedtime.

"So, can you tell me who it was who kidnapped you?" the teenager asked as he sipped some of the steaming liquid.

Sebastian added milk and sugar to his own drink and sighed, "I doubt you would believe me if I told you."

"I believe in a great many things. I might surprise you."

Taken aback by the attitude of the teenager, the dark haired demon lifted his cup to his lips and sipped it before setting it back on a saucer, "The Queen's butler, Ash."

Ciel hadn't been expecting that. As the Queen's Watchdog he had met Ash a few times before; that man had come across as a loyal, calm, obedient and protective servant and not some mad kidnapper with a fetish for wounding young men like Finnian.

"See, I told you that you wouldn't believe me." Sebastian murmured, sipping more of his drink.

"That is a serious allegation. Do you have any proof?"

"Of course not."

"Can you get some? If I had evidence I could present it to Her Majesty and make a case against him; extract some justice for you." He said softly.

"You would do that for an almost complete stranger?"

"I am the Queen's Watchdog, despite being half demon you are a nobleman of Her Majesty's Empire and it is my duty to ensure her subjects are pleased with the things that go on in her country." He crossed one leg over the other ad sat back in his high back leather dark green chair.

Sebastian chuckled, "A disinherited, bastard nobleman, Earl Phantomhive."

"But nobility none the less. Do you know who your father actually is?"

"Yes I do."

"And?"

"Why do you want me to tell you about someone when you have no idea who they are regardless?"

"I am curious."

Sighing heavily, Sebastian inwardly wished he had now insisted upon returning to the Trancy Estate, "Fine, fine. My father is Lord Leviathan of the Hell Plains; he happens to be the King."

"Oh." Ciel was quiet for a moment, "So not only are you a bastard nobleman in this world, you are a-"

"Bastard Prince too, yes I know."

The irony was not lost on him either, could his blood not do anything right?

Not long after this conversation, Sebastian retired for the night. He was exhausted after everything that had happened and after several days and nights of having been strung up by Ash, he was looking forwards to getting some decent sleep, in a feather stuffed bed.

Sleep came easy once he laid down, snuggled tightly under the covers, thinking of Claude and wishing his arms were wrapped around him under the blankets. He smiled faintly before falling into a deeper slumber, dreams of his loved one kept him docile and peaceful.

The other side of the townhouse, Ciel Phantomhive was also settling down to sleep; he had instructed Tanaka to wake him at the crack of dawn as usual and to wake their demonic guest at half past seven with an accompaniment of tea and jam scones.

It was several hours later, that the residents of the townhouse were woken by the smell of smoke and the heat of fire, which gushed through the staircase and crept under the minimal gap under the doors.

Sebastian was the first to wake; he leapt from his bed and pulled on a dressing gown before he ran from the room; he was mortified by the sight of the blazing fire which was winding up the stairs in a fast tango of movement, flickers and a swirling inferno.

He covered his hand with his mouth and coughed as smoke billowed ahead of the conflagration and ricocheted off the formerly white, now blackened ceiling.

Meandering down the plumed corridor, Sebastian sought the Earl's bedroom. He **had** to get him out of here! That boy had seen enough fire for a lifetime already and he would be more damned than he already was if he would allow the fire to claim that boy as well!

He saw Tanaka carrying Finnian and ran towards him, "Tanaka!" he coughed hard as he reached him, "Wait here while I get Ciel!" he told him and ran into the Earl's bedchamber.

He picked the spluttering, asthmatic child from the bed and hugged him to his body, putting his dressing gown around him and tying it to protect him from the smoke and the heat.

When he arrived back outside in the hallway, he grabbed the old man and headed for the nearest window; he opened it and looked down. Well happy days, they were on the **third **floor.

He glanced at the old man and the still unconscious Finny before he sighed, "Tanaka, please close your eyes." The old man, while giving him a speculative glance, did as he asked and closed his eyes tightly shut.

'_Please let this work.'_

Sebastian thought to himself as he called upon his demonic powers and forced his wings to grow, he hissed as his nails also extended and he felt his canines lengthen like they had not done before, his wings extended either side of him and were slightly scorched as the fire crept towards them. Sebastian gulped slightly and prayed to whatever God or Demonic Lord was listening and picked up Tanaka, "Hold on to Finny." He ordered before taking a run and jump.

They broke the glass and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to figure out how to make his wings work and expecting imminent head trauma from the concrete ground below.

His eyes snapped open as the two extra limb link creations on his back suddenly moved to accommodate his wishes and he let out a relieved sigh as he was able to carry them to the ground safely. As soon as they touched down he forced his powers back again and looked back at the townhouse as there was an explosion from inside.

That was when he heard it.

"There is no god..."

He looked down at Ciel, who's head was now poking out of his dressing gown and looking up at him with bleary eyes.

"There is no god, demon." He said again, "Sebastian Michael... I contract you to do my bidding. Accept, the payment is my soul."

Sebastian's eyes widened and he felt a jerk somewhere in his stomach and elsewhere in the deepest recesses of his demonic powers. His eyes glowed pink for a moment and he watched as the child's right eye glowed before a pentagram was stamped into the blue, turning it dark purple. He felt a burn on his right hand and watched as the same marking was tattooed onto the back of his hand in an instant.

He felt the connection burn and spring to life between them and he looked at Ciel Phantomhive. His _master_.

_**To be continued...**_


	9. His Butler, Cherished

**Sorry for how long it has taken to upload this chapter, I have been totally snowed under by college work for my A levels these past few weeks. But it is finally here at least!**

**Thank you everyone for your lovely comments and support, it is much appreciated. Please continue to review! :)**

**Warning:**** Ends with the beginning to a sexual encounter (yes, the yaoi has **_**finally**_** arrived...)**

**Chapter Nine – **

Claude was more worried than ever.

Not only had it been two days since Sebastian had phoned Hannah to tell her he would be returning to the mansion the next morning, he had never arrived. Also, the same night that Sebastian had phoned Hannah, Claude had sensed a demonic disturbance in the air ~ a demon had been newly contracted.

He was irritable with worry, and had a shorter temper than usual. Timber was taking extra care to steer well clear of him after all, he had not yet been forgive for attacking Sebastian in the kitchen that day.

Even Alois was being less irritating in an effort not to annoy his butler further, and it was a hard job! He wasn't used to biting his tongue for anyone's sake, let alone a servant's. Still, he sensed the death-imposing threat that his usually stoic butler possessed.

Had Sebastian had second thoughts about **them**? Did he no longer want him? If so, where had he gone? Where was he now? Did Ash have him again? Had he been kidnapped again? Or was it something even worse than that? Was he dead?

Claude walked into his maser's study as he had been called, wheeling a silver trolley into the room with an antique teapot rested on the top; a matching cup and saucer and a plate with a slice of chocolate Victoria sponge.

He wheeled the trolley over to the desk where his master was sprawled unattractively and reading a letter. He poured the Earl Grey tea and added the condiments of cream and sugar which his master was so fond of before setting the saucer down on the desk beside the blonde, followed by the cake and a gold plated fork.

He stepped back and waited to be dismissed, as any good butler should. When he wasn't, his already frayed temper began to turn to touch paper with a match tickling it.

"My Master is there anything else you require?" he asked stiffly.

Alois sighed heavily and looked at him with his ice blue eyes, "Prepare a carriage for us. We are going to the Phantomhive Estate."

Golden eyes widening a fraction, Claude turned to face his master fully, "The Phantomhive Estate?"

"Your mood has become intolerable, Claude." The blonde replied coolly, "You stalk the hallways like an animal and snarl at anyone who dares get in your way. So, I wrote to Earl Ciel Phantomhive and requested to see him as a matter of the upmost urgency. If something happening to Sebastian Michaelis after he left their household you should be able to find out about it when we arrive. Hannah will also be accompanying us."

He was, initially, taken aback by the courteousness his master was showing him but after a moment he realised it was more about stopping him being moody than actually helping. Regardless, he would take this opportunity with both hands and use it to get Sebastian back.

"Yes, your Highness." He bowed before disappearing in a twirl of his tail coat, hastening to prepare the carriage immediately.

Hannah was already waiting for him at the stables; two of their best horses were out of their stalls and in harnesses. The silver haired woman gave him a slight smile, pleased to see the murderous look was gone from his eyes.

Together they attached the horses to the black and gold carriage and gave them a quick brush down to make them look their best for the journey across London. Claude opened the doors and swept the floor inside the carriage, wiping the seats down and drying them again before he patted the curtains clear of dust and deemed it ready for use.

Stepping back he watched as Hannah climbed up into the driver's seat, "I will take the carriage around to the front of the Estate." She informed him before gently pulling the reigns and trotting off towards her destination.

It wasn't long before Claude was clambering into the back of the carriage after his master and they were away, on their trip to the Phantomhive Estate. They travelled in utter silence, the threat of death lingered over Claude like a bad smell as his insufferable mood returned in the wake of anxiety and fidgetiness at the prospect of discovering what had happened to Sebastian.

Alois watched his butler curiously, he could detect that there was something going on between Claude and Sebastian from the way his precious butler had been behaving since his disappearance. The man was stoic, stiff and unemotional around him but since Sebastian had arrived and been commissioned to do his painting Claude had smiled more than he had ever seen him; his mood had lightened and he had seemed to be a totally different person. But now that Sebastian had disappeared and might be in danger, Claude had become a different person entirely, yet again, this person was moody; vicious and had a foul glare which sparked fear into the most sturdy of hearts.

Desperate to see him return to the light tempered and fun-looking man he had seen; Alois had decided to bite the bullet and go to see Ciel. He was fond of the young Earl Phantomhive even if they only ever argued when they saw each other; he liked playing games and Ciel was _very _receptive to his games. Like no one else he had ever met in fact.

If the young Earl knew something about where Sebastian might have gone then it would set them on the right track to locating him; it would give Claude something to focus on and maybe he would get to have some fun with Ciel at the same time!

As the horse hooves clacked over loose cobbles and the carriage swayed gently in retaliation to the different G-forces acting around them, Alois sighed heavily and sat forwards a little and glanced out of the window.

His eyes widened as he watched them approaching the Estate, it had been fully rebuilt to its former glory and none of the destruction which had been left after the fire was in sight, "Claude..." he breathed, "Look."

The golden eyed demonic butler sighed inwardly but leaned forwards and stuck his head out of the window, his eyes widened in response to what he saw. There was just no way a ruin could be rebuilt like that in such a short amount of time!

The gardens were perfect, the grass mown, the flowers in full bloom, the shrubs growing strong and tall and the bushes which lined the grounds were green and full of vitality.

A rose garden could be seen around the side of the magnificent mansion, unlike the Trancy rose garden all the roses in this one were pure white. Alois couldn't help but find that quite quaint.

The carriage pulled to a stop outside of the mansion; Claude stepped out first and lowered the iron steps for his master to use. He helped the blonde down and closed the door behind him, walking to the front of the vehicle with him and helping Hannah down like a gentleman.

The three headed up the small staircase towards the front door, the young Earl Trancy leading the way with his head held high.

The boy looked at Claude as a gesture, and the butler hastened to knock on the door on his behalf. He stopped, however, when the door opened before he could do as planned.

His eyes widened as he saw who had opened the door and his heart must have surely dropped out of his body because he could no longer feel it thumping in his chest.

Black hair, pale skin and bright amber eyes.

"My Master has been expecting you, Earl Trancy. Please come in." Sebastian stepped aside and let them into the mansion, taking Alois's hat and coat before his amber eyes fixed onto Claude's shocked face.

Sebastian closed the door again once all three people had entered and walked past Claude, "When I have seen to my Master, we may have a moment to talk in private." He told the other butler before he handed the Earl's hat and coat to Tanaka who had appeared to help him.

Claude could only stare, dumbstruck and lost, as Sebastian led them up the grand mahogany stairwell. He watched the man's black tail coat swish lightly behind him as he walked and swallowed heavily as concern flooded his senses.

The Phantomhive butler knocked at his Master's study door and opened it, "Young Master, Earl Trancy to see you."

"Let him in, Sebastian." The boy replied without looking up from his paperwork.

"Yes, My Lord." His eyes blew with pink as he bowed before stepping back out and gesturing for the blonde boy to head into the study, "Young Master?"

"Yes?"

"May I have a moment to discuss the recent events with Claude Faustus?"

"As long as it does not affect your other duties, then yes, but have Tanaka bring us some tea."

"Of course." He bowed and closed the door behind him.

Sebastian turned and offered a smile to the two servants following him before he led them back down towards the kitchens in silence. As he passed Tanaka he requested the tea as his Master had ordered and then continued into the kitchen area, "Can I get either of you a drink?" he asked.

"No thank you." They both replied.

He nodded and sat at the large square island counter in the middle of the room; he waved a gloved hand towards the other seats and watched as Claude and Hannah both sat down opposite him.

They were quiet for a few moments and Sebastian was beginning to think this had been a terrible idea. But suddenly, Claude broke the tense silence which had fallen.

"You... Said you would explain, Sebastian?" the Trancy butler murmured, not meeting the other's gaze; his golden eyes fixed firmly on the old oak counter top.

"Yes... I did." He replied, feeling a twinge in his gut as Claude refused to look at him, "The night I phoned Hannah there was another fire. It ravaged the Young Master's town house and we would have been killed had the smoke not woken Tanaka and I. The staircase was blocked and the only escape was from the third floor window, so I summoned my demonic powers and carried us down by using my wings to steady the fall. When we landed, the Young Master gave me no warning before he contracted me... He said to me 'there is no God' and I felt an echo of ancient power between us, he went on to say that he would contract me. His right eye was marked by a pentagram and I felt the burn of a tattoo on the back of my hand." He lifted his hand and pulled his glove off and showed the other two demons the black star which was printed into his skin.

Hannah sighed softly, "So you had no choice but to accept the contract?"

"I didn't even have a chance to process what he was saying to me. The next thing I knew, I was bound to him and him to me. He has sworn me never to leave his side, never to lie to him and to protect him in all things." He explained with a heavy breath, "Among the first things he ordered of me to do was the rebuilding of the Phantomhive mansion, restored exactly as it had been before it was burned down. It was no easy task however between Tanaka and the Young Master I was able to do it."

"For you to have been contracted it means you have recovered your full demonic power. This is a good thing!" Hannah smiled, "You may not remember everything but you have your full power back, you should be able to protect yourself better out of sheer instinct, and when your memories return you will be a formidable enemy to anyone."

"Haha I guess so, I hadn't really considered it like that... But when we escaped the town house it did feel different. The first time my wings appeared was when I was trapped in Ash's hideout and I wasn't certain that they would ever carry the weight of my body but the second time I was more certain. Not one hundred percent but... More confidant perhaps." The amber eyed male smiled.

Interrupting the happy occasion, Claude ran a hand through his hair and removed his glasses, resting them down on the counter as he rubbed his eyes, "And where does this leave your duty to finish the commission for my Master?"

Sebastian was initially surprised at the nature of the question; he had hoped Claude would be more worried about _their _relationship than a stupid painting. Feeling an aching tug in his chest, he looked down and put his glove back on, "I will complete it, of course, as soon as there is an appropriate time for both my Master and yours." He replied quietly.

"Very well, then I believe that is all there is to discuss. If it is all the same to you I would like to return to my Master, now." He said coldly, standing up and stepping away from the island as he slid his glasses back on.

Hannah looked between Claude and Sebastian for a long moment, seeing the anguish in the latter's expression while the former was resided to cut himself off from his _treacherous_ emotions.

She shot to the door, slipping out of the room and holding it shut from the other side before Claude could get anywhere near her to escape, "You two need to talk!" she called through as she felt her fellow Trancy butler trying to twist the handle.

Bristling from the betrayal of his companion, Claude turned towards his amber eyed love; he faltered inwardly at the pained expression he wore as he looked back at him and felt guilty for his abruptness and his dismissal.

"It wasn't my choice Claude..." he whispered, "If I had it my way I would have returned to you the morning after I called, as I had promised. I couldn't have guessed or foretold the events which occurred, if I could have done that I would have left to be with you sooner, or I would have refused the contract as soon as I realised what was happening."

He sighed heavily, "I... I know it isn't your fault." He walked back over slowly as his former anger towards his love faded away all but entirely, "I'm sorry for acting so coldly towards you, I didn't mean what I said. You mean more to me than some ridiculous portrait Sebastian."

"I love you," licking his lips Sebastian looked up at him slowly, "After you protected me from those hunters and Ash kidnapping me... I know for certain that I do love you. And I will do everything in my power to complete this contract as soon as I can so I can return to your side properly."

He was shocked by the admission of course, neither of them had yet said those three little words, they hadn't had the opportunity. But he was pleased that Sebastian had said them, he felt the same and he knew it. However their current problems far outweighed the joy that his admittance brought him.

Walking closer still, Claude turned the chair that Sebastian was in so that the back was resting against the counter; he then slipped between the other demon's parted legs and pressed against him, leaning down and kissing him deeply, heatedly and passionately.

In seconds, hands and arms were wrapped around each other, fingers clasping at locks of hair and rumples in their garments _anything_ to allow them to press closer together as though there wasn't a minute in the world to waste.

A strangled moan escaped Sebastian and his legs wound around Claude's yanking him closer still; he let out a groan from his throat as their groins rubbed together, the friction of their clothes sending pleasurable sparks through his body.

"S-Sebastian..." Claude prised his mouth away and rested his own forehead against the amber eyed male's forehead, "I know things will be difficult now, what with us both being contracted to different people but... I don't want us to fall apart because, I love you as well. Truly I have never before felt like this about another being, demonic; mortal or otherwise."

Blushing at the words spoken to him, Sebastian looked up into his golden eyes, "Claude..." a contented sigh left him and his eyes closed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, just very happy." He replied with a small nod of his head.

Relaxing at his soft toned response, Claude simply stood and held the man closer to his body, peppering his forehead, cheeks, neck and ears with soft peck like kisses.

They stayed like this for a while before they both groaned, hearing a rumbled over head which sounded oddly like thunder. They looked at each other before coming to a mutual consensus, they detangled themselves and headed for the door, calling through to Hannah they were released from the kitchen and went back into the corridor.

"Are you both alright now?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you Hannah for you intervention." Sebastian smiled at her and chuckled at Claude's small glare.

She giggled and covered her mouth, "Anytime, I assure you."

The amber eyed butler looked up slightly as he heard the ring of a bell and sighed, checking which room it was coming from before he hastened down the corridor.

The Young Master desired his presence again, mostly likely to discuss the rain which was now hammering down against the walls and windows in retaliation to the thunder which had previously disrupted the silence of the building.

Glancing back, he looked at the two Trancy servants, "Are you coming?" he asked and smiled as they both followed after him.

"Sebastian." Ciel looked sharply at his butler who appeared overly happy with a cat like smile on his face, "A storm has brewed."

"Indeed." He replied.

"Look out of the window at the roads."

"Very well."

He walked behind the large desk and peered out of the window. He never ceased to be amazed by the British weather; a storm such as this could appear out of nowhere and last only a few minutes before passing again; on the other hand a storm like this could appear and last for several days... It was hard to keep track of.

At the current moment, large bullets of rain were pounding against the glass and the road out of the grounds was beginning to flood already. The sky was as black as the night and loud rumbling resonated like a marching band on parade, there was a sudden flash of lightening which temporarily illuminated the sky and the study before a boom shocked them, sounding like cannon fire; there was a howling, shrieking wind which screeched through the walls and bounced off the window panes.

Sebastian sighed and turned back to face his master, "It would seem most undignified to send Earl Trancy back to his estate in this weather, fatal in fact." He offered.

"That was what I was thinking." The young boy retorted before looking at the blonde seated across from him, "If you wish so, we will put you up here until the storm has passed and the flooding receded."

Alois pouted at the idea of not being able to return home, but then he considered the fun he could have winding Ciel up; he looked at Claude who was stood beside him, "What do you think Claude?"

"I think it is a good idea, to try to return to the mansion in this weather would be ridiculously dangerous for your safety." The butler replied, not missing the amusement in Sebastian's expression; the irony was not wasted on him as he considered how they had longed to spend more time together before Claude and Alois had to return home and the heavens had wept for them, weeping so hard that they had granted their wish.

"Very well," the blonde teen turned back to the other Earl, "I would like to accept your offer."

"Excellent." Ciel turned to his butler, "Ensure that adequate rooms are prepared for our guests, Sebastian."

"Yes, my Lord." His eyes glowed pink for a moment before he hastened from the room with a polite bow to their guests.

It took him a good forty minutes to prepare rooms; he didn't bother to prepare one for Claude as he intended to ask the demon to sleep in his room with him. In fact, after their mutual revelation in the kitchen, he intended to ask him to do a bit more than sleeping.

The mere idea brought a haughty blush to his pale cheeks and his pupils dilated slightly. He let out a shuddering breath and grinned to himself as his heart beat picked up, thumping in his chest like a bass drum.

He had to stop himself from skipping back to the room, forcing himself to walk calmly as he knocked on the door and opened it again, "The rooms are now prepared, Young Master. Shall I show our guests to their rooms?"

"Yes, please do Sebastian."

"Earl Trancy, Hannah, Claude... Please follow me and I shall take you to your rooms." He smiled warmly at each of them.

They were all slightly surprised when Alois didn't complain, secretly Claude had been expecting the teenager to demand not to be in a room too far from him, but when he simply nodded and grinned devilishly at Ciel he was shocked beyond measure.

Alois's borrowed room was opposite the Young Master's, Sebastian had done this so that the Trancy boy might be more infatuated with Ciel than Claude and already he could see the strings of his infamous plan pulling together. Alois clearly already had some interest in the Earl Phantomhive, which would prove helpful in keeping him away from his butler.

Hannah's room was just down the hall from Alois and Ciel, and again this had been purposefully done so that should Alois awake his first instinct would be to get the closest servant, which would be the busty maid rather than the stoic butler.

Dropping the other two off in the knowledge that Hannah would be able to get the blonde boy ready for bed, Sebastian and Claude were left alone, they walked side by side down the corridor in silence for several long moments before Sebastian finally spoke, "I was thinking you might share with me? If it is a problem then I can prepare a room for you..."

"I was hoping you would suggest sleeping in with you actually," Claude offered a sly smile, "Well, isn't this coincidence, us being stuck here in your humble abode?"

"Hmm, a most curious incident; I cannot for the life of me fathom how lucky we have been." He grinned.

"Indeed, I must for once offer my sincerest of thanks to whatever gods might be listening in."

"Tch, the gods are all good for nothings. Even _**I**_ remember that much." Sebastian smirked as he stopped them in front of his bedchamber.

He unlocked the door and opened it, he ushered Claude inside; following behind him he closed and locked the door again pocketing the key.

Claude looked around the scarcely furnished room: there was a small wardrobe and a double bed which was dressed with a pale red sheet and darker burgundy blankets. He was surprised to see a black cat curled up at the bottom of the bed, sleeping soundly despite the hammering rain and howling wind which roared outside of the French opposite the bed.

"It isn't much, but I will be able to add a more personal touch when I collect my things from the Trancy estate." The amber eyed butler murmured as he lit an oil lamp, instantly illuminating the room better.

"Nonsense, it is very... Homely." Claude smiled before he swept over to him and took him into his arms, kissing him sweetly on the lips.

Captured in the kiss, Sebastian's arms soon looped up around Claude's broader shoulders and held him closer to his body, pressing into him for warmth and for contact.

Recalling his earlier plans, Sebastian felt a tug of anxiety in the pit of his stomach but brushed it aside in the knowledge that Claude would never purposefully hurt him in any way shape or form.

He parted their lips for a moment and breathed a little heavier, "C-Claude?"

"Yes, Sebastian?" he said between kisses he trailed down the other's pale neck.

"You remember I told you I was a virgin?"

"Of course," He settled his lips on his collar bone and sucked lightly at the skin which stretched over the bone, only satisfied when he left a dark patch on his alabaster skin, "What of it?"

He held his breath for a moment, letting out a small moan as his skin was sucked and nibbled lightly upon, "I would like you to be my first..." he said softly.

The golden eyed demon ceased his actions upon his perfect flesh and pulled back slowly, looking into his eyes, "What do you mean? So that we are clear and there is no room for misunderstanding."

His cheeks were crimson with embarrassment as he considered how to phrase his desires; he finally settled upon a decision and leaned in, brushing plump lips over the other's ear, "I wish for you to take my virginity, I wish for you to have your wicked way with me, make love with me... Whichever you think describes what I suggest the best."

"Hmm... All three sound good."

Sebastian gasped as he was suddenly picked up and carried to the bed; as he was thrown onto the mattress his secret pet cat growled in anger and stalked off into the wardrobe to find sleep once again.

Claude stalked towards him, making his heart skip a beat as heat shot right to his groin; he watched him and laid back, whining as the other butler crawled up over him slowly.

As their clothed hips pressed together, his skin felt as though it was on fire and he quivered against him, sliding his hands down his arms before removing his own gloves, followed by Claude's.

Clothes were discarded as they exchanged passionate, loving kisses, tongue twining and fighting in the same breath, their essences mixing and coiling together as they slowly bared themselves to each other's eyes.

Pulling back, Claude knelt up and slowly peeled away Sebastian's last article of clothing, he allowed for the man to blush before he silenced his embarrassed whine with a breath stealing kiss, "You are beautiful and perfect." He whispered.

And lie did he not, for Sebastian was truly magnificent were he not a demon Claude would have thought of him as an Angel for such beauty was often not found among their kind. They were a twisted and cruel race after all, and in some, if not most cases their appearances moulded to their personalities. Wicked and demented as they were.

But Sebastian was truly a perfect specimen; Claude momentarily felt self conscious, only hoping he would be enough for his love.

He was drawn from his thoughts as Sebastian ripped his underwear off in impatience and he was suddenly naked before him; he was humbled when he saw a lustful hunger in Sebastian's eyes as he was gazed at and his former uncertainty vanished in the wake of desire.

Finally pressing against him, the entirety of their nude bodies in close contact after so many teasing touched with material blocking their vision and touch.

Sebastian arched, his skin ablaze as he felt the masculinity of Claude's well kept body pressing and urging against his own. He blushed, more out of need than embarrassment for he was no longer concerned. He trusted Claude with his life, trusting him with his body was a little thing to ask in comparison.

"Sebastian..." the golden eyed man paused and looked down at him, "The Third Method of Demonic Attraction, when two demons fall in love with each other without outside interference..."

He whined, "Yes? I remember... Very romantic..." he shuddered at the sensations coursing throughout his body and keened for more attention from the other demon.

"Before we... Do this you must understand..." Claude groaned under his breath as it became increasingly more difficult to ignore his mate's nakedness beneath him, "... If we do this and make love, we will go into the first stages of _Bonding_, our souls will begin to entwine. I will begin to feel your emotions... Ngh, you will begin to feel mine. We will begin to... _Ah_, Sebastian stop that I'm trying to be serious..." he trembled as the other's fingertips continued to trail up the inside of his thigh towards his increasingly aware manhood, "It won't... Hnn, be complete... Until a Lord or Elder demon performs the ceremony to properly bind us together but... Once the first stage is done... Its normally very hard to... Break it again..."

"I don't want to break it." Sebastian protested breathlessly, as his fingers splayed across Claude's skin teasingly, "I want _you_."

The golden eyed demon groaned and closed his eyes for a moment, he knew he had to tell him everything, but it was becoming progressively more difficult to even think straight. For a damned virgin, Sebastian seemed well aware of how to arouse him, for which he was quite pleased and appreciated... But _not_ when he was tryin to explain something to him. Giving up, Claude ended their talk with a heated kiss which warmed Sebastian right to his toes and made them curl slightly.

"Do you want this Sebastian?" he asked once more, his own golden eyes boring into Sebastian's amber once with lust and desire.

"For goodness sake..." Sebastian rolled them suddenly and straddled his lap, he rocked his own hips against Claude's a tore a moan from the other man, "_Yes_, I want this and I want you and everything that comes with both. So would you _**please**_ hurry up and start already." He pouted; his voice exasperated and breathless with stimulation.

Chuckling at the adorable pout on the other's lips, Claude leaned up and stole another breathtaking kiss from him before he rolled them again an pinned Sebastian down playfully and smirked at him, "Yes, My Prince."

_**To be continued...**_


	10. His Butler, Loving

**Thank you everyone for your continued support of this story and your wonderful reviews.**

**Warning:**** Continuation of the sexual encounter from Chapter Nine**

**Chapter Ten:**

"Yes, My Prince." Claude murmured against his ear, kissing down his neck slowly and leaving small darkened patches in the wake of his lips.

Sebastian's amber eyes, clouded with lust, slipped closed and he arched up against his lover, whining loudly and biting his bottom lip to quieten himself as he felt Claude's larger hands roamed over his exposed chest and waist, fingertips dragging and caressing the skin.

The golden eyed demon pulled back slightly and slowly shifted Sebastian's legs to either side of his waist and as he lay back down, he pressed against him and ground their hips together.

Light moans drifted around the room as they touched and mingled and explored each other; they kissed deeply and heatedly. Claude knelt up and leaned over the bed, reaching in his tail coat and fishing around; when he finally leaned back over Sebastian he had a small bottle of massage oil in his hand.

A dark blush spread across Sebastian's cheeks as he saw it and a jolt of apprehension shot through him; Claude glanced at him as he felt him jolt under him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes... Just nervous." The amber eyed male replied softly.

Claude silenced his fear with a tender kiss, "I won't hurt you."

Knowing he spoke truly, Sebastian relaxed once again, a gasp leaving his already parted lips as he felt moistened fingers brushing in his most intimate of places. His eyes flicked up to look at Claude and he received a gently smile in return before he dropped his head back on the pillows as he felt one of those fingers slowly penetrate him fully.

He panted lightly, wriggling very slightly as he tried to subconsciously decide whether or not he liked the sensation filling him; by the time the third finger had joined the first he was most certain that he did.

Claude was gentle, as he had promised and intended to be; this was his mate's first time and he would be sure to cause him as little discomfort as was demonically possible. He rocked his hand against him, slowly at first but growing firmer as he felt his muscles relaxing.

A sudden and abrupt cry left him as Claude's fingers found something within him he hadn't even realised was there, pleasure sparked up and down his body and made him squirm against the mattress as his hands weakly kneaded at Claude's well muscled back.

Deciding not long after the initial cry of pleasure, which had been followed by several others, Claude pulled his hand away and chuckled at the whine of complaint that Sebastian relinquished.

He leaned over him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips before slowly easing himself inside of his lover's more than willing body. He watched as Sebastian's eyes widened in realisation before his eyebrows furrowed in discomfort and he aimed to stamp that feeling out, distracting him with a passionate kiss and a few strokes of his hardened manhood.

Before long, Sebastian was a writhing mess of moans and mewls beneath him and Claude was certain that he had never encountered anyone so beautiful and captivating than this man.

As soon as he was accustomed to the feeling of his lover nested deeply within his body he experimentally moved his hips; the new angle sending zings of bliss throughout his body and tearing a deep moan from his throat.

They moved together, deeply and rhythmically sharing kisses and moans as their bodies melded together.

Sebastian threw his head back and moaned loudly, scratching at Claude's back and shoulders leaving faint red welts in his wake. He arched against him as a knot of pleasure built in the very pit of his stomach and he whimpered against the next kiss he was submitted to. As if sensing his near completion, Claude's movements grew more ragged and firmer as he snapped his hips against his lover; wrapping his hand back around his hardness and moving his hand in time with his thrusts.

When the pleasure reached its' peak, Sebastian found his release, and as his muscles went into spasm he felt a burning at the base of his neck, followed by the sensation of power flooding through his veins.

The power was foreign to him; he knew it wasn't his own demonic power which told him that it was Claude's power.

As he collapsed against the bed, feeling Claude's release inside of him, he trembled and felt strangely complete. As his lover, his mate pulled away and lay beside him he smiled and rolled onto his side, wincing only a little as his lower back ached from their activities.

He curled up against him and yawned, feeling Claude's knuckles brushing his cheek and he blushed softly; looking up at him shyly.

"Was... It alright?" Claude whispered, tendering kisses across his cheek and neck.

Smiling back at him, Sebastian nodded, "It was... Well worth waiting for... And amazing."

"Heh, I am glad." He planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth, "It was... Amazing this end too."

Sebastian shuffled around until he was more comfortable and let out a contented sigh as the covers were pulled up over their bodies.

He reached around and gingerly felt the nape of his neck, "What was that that I felt I mean?"

"As I said, being intimate like that results in a semi-bonding between the two participating demons. You are now marked, as am I."

"You are?"

Claude rolled onto his front and tipped his head forwards to show him the top of his spine; the base of his neck. And quite clearly a dark red mark was visible; it looked like a side view of the head of a dragon, along with one wing stretched out. It was a handsome mark and Sebastian brushed his fingertips over the marking curiously.

The patch was unusually warm compared to the rest of Claude's skin but at the same time there was that same feeling of it being _**right**_.

"Do all markings look the same?" he asked curiously and let his lover turn back onto his side to embrace him in warm arms once again.

"Not at all," the golden eyed demon replied, "The markings for a set of mates are the same, yours will be the same as mine but a different colour; but the shape would be different for another pair of demons. These marks define me as bein _yours_ and they define you as being _mine_."

"Mm... That sounds nice." Sebastian decided after a moment of thought, "What colour is mine?"

Peering over his lover's shoulder, Claude strove to find the answer to his question; he laid back after a moment and smiled, "Black."

"Figures." He scoffed.

"What is mine?"

"Red."

"Ooh nice..."

Sebastian gave him a disbelieving look before he yawned widely and stretched, "I feel so... Complete."

"I know what you mean, I feel the same." He murmured and pecked his cheek, "We should sleep for a little while and see what tomorrow brings in terms of this storm."

"Mm... Personally I want it to flood the road even more... That way you'll have to stay another night." He smirked.

Claude chuckled lightly, "You are a devious minx, Sebastian Michaelis."

"Yes." He agreed with a light laugh.

"But..." he kissed him softly again, "It is just one of the very many reasons why I love you."

"I love you as well." He mumbled, embarrassed.

Sebastian closed his eyes as Claude blew out the candle light beside them; he smiled as he felt his arms wrap back around him and he sighed softly. He was disturbed from his happy place by a sudden uncertainty.

Claude frowned into the dark as he felt Sebastian's discomfort through their newly formed Bond, although their Bond was still immature and would need to be sealed and completed at a later date by an Elder or a Lord, he could feel Sebastian's emotions; his mate had probably forgotten that, considering that he had explained briefly while they had both been somewhat aroused and distracted.

"What's wrong Sebastian? You are troubled?" he murmured through the gloom.

He started slightly and swore inwardly as he abruptly recalled the short chat they had had before beginning their intimacy, "I... I just... You know so much about all of this and it never occurred to me to wonder how." He bit his lip, "Have you... Loved someone before me?"

Claude could have laughed; he would have laughed had it not been for the deadly serious panic he sensed within Sebastian's words and feelings, he leaned down and brushed his lover's hair out of his face and cupped his cheek gently.

"I have never loved another being, demon, Angel or human, other than you." He replied certainly and truthfully, "I know about this because I spent a lot more time in the Hell Plains than you did, we are taught of these things."

"O-oh..." he looked down, feeling stupid for being so ridiculous.

Claude smiled through the dark, "It was a reasonable question. I have been intimate with one other demon," he paused, wondering whether or not to divulge the full extent of this part of his history, "But it was not consented on both sides."

"What do you mean?"

"A demon forced himself upon me." He stated calmly, "It as several years ago now, and it no longer bothers me as it once did."

"C-Claude... I... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be." He smiled, "It was a long time ago and save for just now I rarely even think of it anymore. However such an event did make me more certain that if I even found a mate I would ensure to treat them as they desired, never rushing them or forcing them to do anything they were uncomfortable with."

Sebastian swallowed but he leaned over and kissed him softly, "Thank you for telling me this."

"It was nothing." He replied but returned the kiss, "I want to show you that Demonic mating doesn't have to be like that, there are a lot of demons who will happily just take what they want; you know this already though I hope?"

"Yes... I know that." He paused, "My father wasn't like that though... He cared about my Mother and about me; and the servants in his house."

Claude nodded, "Indeed, Leviathan is different, more like you and he is a pioneer among our kin. He has brought many noble houses around to his way of thinking and as such our world has become more peaceful as a result."

"What about the... The battle I ran from? I still don't remember much about it. Other than my guardian and mentor were killed and I was found by Ash in the woods."

Claude sighed, they truly had gone off subject again, "An Angel invasion upon our land. Tensions had been rising for several years before it but when they learned that King Leviathan had an heir they attacked. Aiming to kill both of you."

"What!?" Sebastian's eyes were wide with surprise, "They wanted to kill... _**Me**_?"

"Yes." He sighed, "I am only privy to this information because I happened across a group of Angels in the outskirts of the city and they didn't notice me. So I was able to overhear their conversation."

"I... I don't understand, why would they want to kill me? I can understand them wanting to get rid of the leader of the lands but me? I was just a child, a child with barely a scrap of talent or knowledge."

The golden eyed demon licked his lips, "It was your potential that they feared. I told you... You are strong Sebastian. When you first saw my contract mark the power you displayed in an effort to try and escape my grasp very nearly overpowered me. With the proper training and your full demonic powers at hand you would be a force to be reckoned with. Strong enough, to have taken revenge for the murder of your father, perhaps."

"So... Did they succeed?" he asked, "Did they manage to kill my father?"

"No." He shook his head, "Leviathan is still very much alive, and believe me he wreaked havoc after it was discovered that you were missing."

He felt a flicker of relief through him, "Okay... How come no one ever came after me to take me back again?"

"I honestly couldn't say... I don't know."

Sebastian laid back against the bed and yawned softly, "Mm... Well, I've sidetracked us now." He chuckled lightly, "You were right before, we should get some sleep. I have to be up at five so that I can be ready to wake the Young Master at day break."

"Day break?"

"Mm... He is an earlier riser." He rolled his eyes.

Claude laughed gently and kissed Sebastian's cheek, "Then we should indeed sleep, lest we both be too tired to rise when our Master's need us tomorrow."

Snuggling down under the covers, Sebastian let sleep take him; the last thing he knew before he drifted off was that Claude's arms wrapped tighter around him and he was pulled against the other demon's body for warmth. And nothing had ever felt so god-damned _**divine**_.

The next morning, Sebastian prised himself from Claude's arms and prepared himself a quick bath in the tin tub that was in the small closet hidden beside his wardrobe. As he slipped down into the steaming hot water, his knotted muscles released and he went lax in the tub.

Letting a soft sigh escaped his lips and he closed his eyes for a moment, simply letting the water relax him and comfort his aching body; the ache from the previous night's _excitements_ had been worthwhile, never had he before experienced such utter completion at the hands of another and he knew with certainty and without question that Ash's pathetic attempt at arousing him while he had been his prisoner was nothing compared to how Claude had made him feel.

Such a thought brought a smile to his lips and as he finished washing he clambered out of the bath, wrapping a towel around his waist and hastened to empty away the bath water.

After drying his skin and hair, Sebastian headed back into his bedroom and smiled as he saw that Claude was still sleeping soundly. He dressed swiftly and brushed himself down, attaching his Albert chain to his waist coat before running a brush through his hair.

He walked over to the bed and placed a soft kiss on his mate's forehead before heading out to begin his duties and wake the Young Master up.

His day began when he made the food preparations for the day; he planned to make a breakfast of warm scones and Assam tea. Having put the scones in the oven to bake for half an hour, he went to rouse his fellow Phantomhive servant, the gardener.

He knocked once on the door before pushing it open and going inside, he lit the candles in the room and clapped his hands sharply, "Finnian, it is time to wake up." He announced as the strawberry blonde sluggishly sat up.

"Yes, Mister Sebastian." He yawned and stretched, "I'll be right there, sir."

"Good, when you are ready I want you to quickly scout the grounds and see how badly the flooding has damaged the lands, and after that you are to check the road out of the Estate and see whether or not it is accessible for Earl Trancy to leave by."

"Yes, Mister Sebastian." He nodded and slowly plodded out of bed to get dressed.

Certain that Finny would fulfil his requests without too much trouble, Sebastian checked the time on his favoured pocket watch and hastened to wake his master up, picking up a tray of tea on his way, for scolded he would surely be to forget his master's morning tea.

Upon entering the Earl's bedroom, he watched for a moment as the child continued sleeping and he sighed softly, being reminded of himself, for they had surely been the same when he had been at that age.

Opening the curtains and allowing the sight of the still raging storm into the room; when he heard a soft groan from behind him he knew that his master was now awake. He turned and offered a small smile as he walked over and set the tray of tea on the bedside table.

"Good morning, Young Master." He greeted, handing him a cup and saucer, "This morning I have prepared Lapsang Souchong tea for you."

"Lapsang Souchong?" he repeated, rubbing his eyes sleepily before sipping his drink.

"Indeed, it is of Chinese origin and is generally noted for the slightly smoky taste." He paused, "How do you find it?"

Ciel took another sip of the hot liquid while trying to decide whether or not he liked it, "Mm... It is acquired, however I believe you can order some more for future uses."

"Very well, Young Master." He nodded and stood back up.

Ciel finished his drink and set it on the tray, stretching and yawning again, "What is my schedule for today, Sebastian?"

"You have a meeting to establish connections to one of the main Chinese Import and Export traders, a Mister Lau and eleven O'clock; followed by a tutorage session at one O'clock till three."

A groan escaped the younger of the two, "Well there is no way neither Lau nor my tutor will be able to get here unless the road is cleared so you might as well clear my schedule as well."

"As you wish."

"What about Alois and his servants? Do you think we can get them out today?"

"If the road is blocked I surely doubt it. I have ordered Finnian to check the road's condition so I shall receive his report shortly."

"Alright."

The next few minutes were alive with the rustle of clothes as Sebastian dressed his master and slid the Phantomhive ring onto his proffered thumb. When he was respectably dressed, Sebastian stood back and checked his watch.

"Unless there is anything more I can do for you, Young Master, I shall attend to the breakfast."

"Go." Was the short response.

Taking the incentive, he left the room, trusting that his master would attend the breakfast table when he was good and ready. His only concern was whether or not _**he**_ should wake Alois, or whether he should wake Claude and Hannah and let _**them**_ do it instead.

Biting the bullet, he went to the kitchen, pulled the scones from the oven and placed them on a cooling tray so that they would be ready and he then went to the blonde Earl's guest room.

He hoped Alois didn't have one of his funny turns and lash out at him.

He knocked twice on the door and pushed it open, he paused in the doorway as he saw Claude already awake, dressed and seeing to his master.

"Ah, good morning." Sebastian greeted, "I came to inform you that breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

Claude looked over his shoulder at the amber eyed male and smiled faintly before standing and nodding once, "I shall bring my Master down promptly."

"Much appreciated." He inclined his head and left the room again.

As he walked back down the corridor, Sebastian cursed himself inwardly for the fluttering of his heart that the mere sight of Claude caused him. It was an unusual sensation, but welcome never the less.

Forcing himself to focus, he considered the order that his Young Master had given him last night, just before he had settled down to sleep. He would have to deal with that as soon as the weather permitted, or even sooner perhaps.

_**To be continued...**_


	11. His Butler, Recruiting Part One

**Thank you for your most wonderful reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy this story, just writing this chapter I have come up with some new ideas that I hadn't had before, so prepare for some twists and turns at some point *wink wink* expect the unexpected haha.**

**Chapter Eleven:**

His master really was very mean to him, Sebastian had decided as he strode down the partially flooded streets of the city, looking for his target. He had known from the off that he would have to fulfil Ciel's order sooner or later; he had simply hoped that it could have been left until _after_ the flooding had receded.

Having swam across the grounds to reach a speck of road that wasn't flooded, Sebastian had then continued onto the city, drenched; shivering and bloody cold! And it turned out that the city wasn't much better than the Estate, the pathways were water logged, the roads saturated and the cobbles slippery.

He had to constantly remind himself that he was a butler of the Phantomhive household, and that he should be able to complete his master's wishes with ease. However, the Young Master, seemed to draw some sadistic pleasure from trying to make him suffer and he had come to the conclusion that Ciel didn't give a damn whether or not he was half-human, half-demon or the Devil himself.

The amber eyed male had speculated that perhaps he was being tested. Well, they were damn horrible tests at that.

He ascended the bell tower with haste, glad at least that the building provided a little shelter for him from the worst of the prevailing winds and rain. He reached the top and concealed himself in the shadows as he observed the young thing before him.

Magenta hair ran loose around his shoulders, magnificently bright coloured eyes glinted and flicked around the bustle of Cockneys below. In his right hand, a rifle, loaded and cocked, ready to be fired and in his left hand was the scope which had formerly been positioned on the gun.

As the purple haired boy raised the rifle ready to fire into the crowd, Sebastian made his move; shooting forwards and grabbing the rifle in his hand. He turned the boy and captured his arms in a firm brace; he was slightly stunned to discover that the magenta haired boy... Was actually a girl!

He was also surprised by the level of violence this young lady was willing to go to in order to get free, he was certain that had he not been half demon, his crown jewels would have been permanently out of service thanks to the number of kicks she was aiming there.

"Stop fighting me," he commanded suddenly, having finally had enough of her antics, "I am not here to cause you harm, I am here to offer you help."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, her eyes glinting with suspicion and disbelief, "Why would you offer a stranger help?"

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis," he took the rifle from her and broke it clean in half, "And I work for Earl Ciel Phantomhive, he desires to offer you a proposition among his staff. He has heard extensive rumours of your talents, and because of his position in society and in the underworld as the Queen's Watchdog, he requires servants who can protect the Phantomhive mansion, and the Earl himself."

She blinked and stared, several emotions passing over her face as she listened to his words; her expression finally settled upon curiosity, "What would I have to do?"

"On the front you would appear to be an ordinary servant, a maid, however if the need was aroused and you had to protect the Estate from unmentionable characters, you would be expected to use your talents to do so." He tilted his head, "We have a young man recently come into our employment named Finnian; he has taken the role of gardener but in reality he has super and devastating strength."

"And how many others are there?"

"There is another butler, Tanaka; myself, the head butler and Finnian, the gardener. Should you join there will be you as well." He replied, "And I have one other whom I need to recruit."

Sebastian saw that she was still uncertain and he released her wrists slowly, "What is your name?"

"Mey-Rin." She replied in a mumble.

"Well then, Mey-Rin, do you have anything else to go back to? Anyone who would miss you should you leave?" he asked.

Her reply took several minutes to formulate and Sebastian waited patiently, "I... Suppose not, no..."

"Then come with me, my Master is a high status aristocrat and you will be a high status servant, the pay will be above minimum wage and you will have a large; spacious room to yourself." He smiled slightly and offered his gloved hand to her, "Come with me, Mey-Rin, and have a new life."

She looked from his hand, to his face and back again before she finally reached out and curled her own delicate fingers around his, "Alright." She agreed.

Pleased that he had been able to convince her without too much _mushy, emotional_ stuff, he pulled her onto his back and shot down from the bell tower, climbing down the wall like a circus monkey. He heard a sharp intake of breath from the woman on his back but he ignored it and continued until he reached the bottom, he set her on her feet once more.

Taking off his raincoat, he draped it around her shoulders and took her hand, leading her to a hansom cab and helping her inside. He looked up at the driver, "Take us as close to the Phantomhive Mansion as you can." He requested before climbing inside and shutting the door behind him.

As he sat down, the cab pulled away and the journey back to the mansion, and his lover began. He had been forced to leave without a chance to even say goodbye to Claude and he was already missing him terribly. He longed to curl up beside him, to kiss him and touch him; it almost brought a blush to his cheeks as he considered making love with him again and wondered if it would be possible, if Claude would even want to do it again so soon after the first time.

There were some many things he was uncertain off when it came to relationships, but he wouldn't panic about it fo he knew that Claude was patient and he would never force him to do or talk about anything he didn't want to.

With that in mind, he sat back comfortably in the rough leather seat and watched the outside world whizz by.

It took about half an hour to forty minutes to reach the bridge towards the mansion, which was still flooded; when they got out of the cab, Sebastian paid the man and picked Mey-Rin back up, "Close your eyes." He told her.

She looked doubtful for a moment but sighed and closed her eyes tightly, feeling the air gusting past her face as they moved. Only moments later they ceased moving again and she was set on her feet.

When told, she opened her eyes again and eagerly looked around, surprised to find that they had crossed the valley of water previously blocking their path.

"H-how on Earth did you..." she trailed off as she looked up at the dark aired male and swallowed, "Never mind."

He simply smiled in return and led her down the long driveway towards the mansion at a brisk pace. He ensured that she was able to keep up with him but as the rain continued to pelt he became more and more eager to reach the mansion and the comfort of a warm blanket.

His gaze sharpened as he saw the front door open and his heart skipped a beat as he watched Claude descend the stone steps with a large umbrella.

"Oh my, who is that?" Mey-Rin asked.

"The butler from another Earl's household." He replied.

His ears did not miss the tone of appreciation in her voice as she admired Claude; his jealous streak throbbing in response as he fought the sudden urge to gouge her eyes out and make sure she never set them upon his mate again. Of course doing that would have rendered her useless to the Young Master and considering that it had been an order to bring her back to the mansion unharmed it would probably be a bad idea to do what he wanted to do. Of course, he could writhe in silent pleasure knowing that no matter how much she admired Claude, he would never look at her in the same way, in fact he might never look at her at all.

"Sebastian," Claude greeted, a small smile touching his lips as he came to a stop in front of the two and ushered them under the protection of the umbrella he was carrying, "I was most disturbed to find you had disappeared from the mansion this morning without a word."

"I'm sorry, Young Master ordered it." He sighed and happily took shelter.

Waving a hand the golden eyed demon glanced at the magenta haired woman, "Come; let us return to the house lest you both catch cold out here."

Sebastian nodded and rested a hand on Mey-Rin's lower back, hastening her into the mansion and the warmth. Shaking his sopping wet hair as they reached the foyer, he felt a shiver run through him. He jumped slightly as a towel was wrapped over his shoulders and he looked at Claude approvingly; watching as Mey-Rin was given a towel to dry herself with too.

He dried himself off and clapped his hands sharply twice and watched as Finnian came running from the servants' quarter followed by Tanaka. The strawberry blonde beamed as he saw Sebastian had returned and came to an abrupt halt.

"Finny," he greeted with a nod, "Tanaka, this is Mey-Rin, she will be joining us as of today as the Phantomhive maid. Please show her to her room, Tanaka if you would be kind enough to collect her uniform from the laundry room and present it to her I would appreciate it."

Finny saluted and grabbed the girl's hand, running off with her and Tanaka bowed his head silently, turning and heading through one of the doors towards the laundry room as instructed.

Now alone, Sebastian turned to Claude, "I am sorry for disappearing, I had hoped not to be so long but the rain really got in the way of things. Are you alright?"

"It is fine, I understand although it appears your master is a little cruel, sending you out in such weather to complete such a task as recruiting servants." He chuckled and touched his lover's cheek, "You are freezing cold! We should get you warmed up before you do any further work for Earl Phantomhive."

"No it's okay... I'll warm up as I go along." He protested before finding himself slung over Claude's shoulder, "What are you _doing_?!" he squealed as he was carried to his bedroom, "_Claude_!" he hissed.

"Relax my love, I don't want you getting double pneumonia." He replied simply as he pushed open the bedroom door, went inside and closed it behind him.

He gulped as he heard the lock click and he was set on his feet once more, he pouted at him before squeaking as his clothes were half ripped from his body. Left in only his underwear, Sebastian was pulled against Claude's larger body and his arms wrapped around him tightly, warming him with his own body heat.

Amber eyes slowly glazed over and slid closed, he relaxed as the familiar scent of his lover washed over him and he sighed softly; feeling heat envelope his body and warm him from the outside in.

"Mm, Claude..." he mumbled and snuck his cold hands under the other butler's shirt, smirking as he felt his abdominal muscles jolt and tense in response to the sudden chilled flesh against his.

"Good grief Sebastian, next time you take a thicker coat." He muttered sternly.

"Yes boss." He teased.

Claude frowned slightly and tipped his head back forcefully, claiming his mouth heatedly and clasping the back of his neck, holding him in place. Sebastian jumped slightly at the abruptly commanding presence Claude emitted, deciding he rather liked it. He wound his arms around his neck and pressed against him, returning the kiss whole heartedly.

The golden eyes butler finally pulled away, resting his hands on the smaller male's waist, "Hmm... Well, we have a few hours before we can relax with each other properly but that kiss will keep me going if it will keep you sated for the time being too, my Prince."

Sebastian blushed faintly and nuzzled his neck softly, "You'd best stop calling me that, my Father probably had other kids so it isn't like I would ever inherit anything from him; I'm half human too so I would be even more unlikely to be considered for anything."

"He did have another child that much is true." Claude agreed, "But that she died during the War, you are his only child. His son, and heir. So, if it is all the same to you, I will keep using that nickname."

He tensed at this news and looked down, "Now that my powers are recovered, do you think he will send anyone to look for me?" he asked.

"I couldn't say, but if I was him then I would have done so." He replied, kissing his forehead, "Why? Does it trouble you?"

"Well... I just don't think I would be what he would be looking for in an heir. I'm don't exactly act like a demon do I?"

Claude simply shrugged, "I suppose not, but then I think that is one of your more endearing characteristics."

"Tch, you think all my characteristics are endearing."

"Actually, your habit of disagreeing is a little annoying."

Sebastian laughed at that and rested his head on the other's shoulder, he brushed his fingers through the hair at the bottom of his neck and sighed softly, content to just stay like that forever.

"We should get you redressed." Claude sighed, "Our masters are busy playing chess, but alas, I think they have nearly finished and will be wanting their evening snacks by now."

"Ugh..." Sebastian pulled back with a pout and looked at the scattered, sodden clothes on the floor before he walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a new uniform.

"So, this Mey-Rin..." Claude trailed off as he picked up Sebastian's clothes from the floor.

"The Young Master ordered me to gather two further servants, each with special talents. He had heard rumours of a lethal assassin who used long range guns and never missed the target. It was natural he would desire such a being."

"And the other servant?"

"A man, a soldier I believe... I will seek him out in the next few hours and go and collect him tomorrow." He replied.

"I see..." Claude murmured, "Why not contract other demons? Why use humans? They are so frail after all... Easily squashed."

Sebastian paused, "I asked him the same question last night, and his reply was that we demons underestimate the power of humanity. So I suppose we will simply have to wait and see." He shrugged.

"Fair enough. Though I admit I am very curious now!" he chuckled.

Sebastian simply smiled at him as he tightened his eye and straightened his tail coat, attaching his Albert chain to his waist coat. He put his shoes back on and sniffed, running a brush through his knotted hair.

"Perfect." Claude praised as he looked him over.

"Heh, thanks." He winked and checked himself over once, "Alright, let us retire to the kitchen and fetch our master's a snack."

"Agreed."

As engrossed as they were in each other neither of them noticed the pair of pink and black flecked eyes which had appeared at the French windows outside as they left the room together.

_**To be continued...**_


	12. His Butler, Recruiting Part Two

**Thank you for your continued support and lovely reviews. Sorry for the delay in this chapter, I have been laid up in bed for a week and a half with influenza and a sinus infection :(**

**Chapter Twelve:**

Two days after employing Mey-Rin, the rain finally cleared and the flooding receded. Sebastian had been troubled by this and knew that Claude would now be returning to the Trancy Estate, but his mate had assured him that they would see each other again soon and he wouldn't stop thinking about him until they did.

But Sebastian still didn't like the idea of being separated from him for any period of time, but alas he had no other choice but to sit tight and wait. And his master had ordered him on another mission. At least it wasn't raining this time.

And thus, he was driving the Estate's carriage out of town, towards a small country village about six miles away from London. It was a village populated by about 900 people, so he would most definitely stick out if he wasn't careful. With this in mind, he parked the carriage at the village entrance and headed inside, turning up the collar of his knee length coat as he walked swiftly through the open gates.

This was not what he had expected to arrive at. The village looked like it had been bombed! Houses were burning and crumbling to the ground, bodies littered the streets and there were large craters left by the impact of an explosive. Smoke curled in the sky like thick black serpents reaching for the clouds.

He tilted his head and looked around. Would his target still be alive? Or had this been an utter waste of time?

He strode through the streets, minding his own business as he nudged a couple of corpses out of his way with his foot, he glanced them over on and off as he tried to see whether or not any of them belonged to his target.

He turned a corner and paused as he heard crying. His eyes narrowed momentarily before he walked towards the source of the noise, as he got closer he saw two bodies in one of the craters and he realised after a moment that one was dead and the other was alive.

Coming to a stop at the edge of the hole, Sebastian looked down at the blonde haired; blue eyed soldier who was weeping over the body of the fallen soldier.

"So you have survived." Sebastian breathed.

"Who are you?!" the blonde exclaimed as he pointed a rifle at him.

Chuckling softly, the amber eyed butler reached out and pulled the gun from his grasp, "I am offering you a way out."

"What do you mean?"

"They did not listen to you did they? Your superiors I mean. You knew that this attack was coming and you knew that their plans were not good enough to protect the village and the villagers. And yet they would not listen."

His blue eyes narrowed, "How do you know about that?"

"It matters not. However, if you come with me now I offer you a new life among people who will listen to you." He smiled slightly and extended a gloved hand towards him, "Come with me and start again."

He stared at the dark haired male in disbelief and stood up slowly, taking his outstretched hand and letting himself be pulled out of the crater.

"So, what do I call you?" Sebastian asked.

"Bard." He replied quietly, "What is this new life you are inviting me into?"

The amber eyed male smiled slightly, "I am the head butler in the Phantomhive household, my master, Ciel Phantomhive has need of skilled servants and you have an uncanny ability to plan tactics and keep yourself alive. We have a position for a chef which requires filling as soon as possible."

"I don't know anything about cooking..."

"I will tutor you."

The blonde looked uncertain for a moment and looked back at the fallen men and women around them. Sebastian observed him for a moment before he walked around and stood behind him; he leaned in and rested a hand on Bard's shoulder.

"You have nothing else to hold you here... Your friends are dead and you are alive; what else can you do except to carry on living in the best way you can? Bard." He whispered to him.

A shudder ran through Bard's body and he sighed, "I... Suppose you are right. It is not like I have anything else to live for."

"Good, then follow me." Sebastian smiled and strode off ahead, pleased that he had convinced him without too much trouble.

Hastening back to the carriage, Sebastian opened one of the doors for the newest addition to the Phantomhive servants and shut it again when Bard had climbed inside. He then climbed up onto the driver's seat and snapped the horse reigns.

And then they were on their way back to the Estate. Sebastian wondered if Claude had left yet; he hoped that it wasn't the case as he wanted to get to say goodbye as there was no knowing when they would next get to see each other again.

It took an hour and a half to get back to the mansion, and by the time they had Sebastian could no longer sense his lover's presence within the building. Sorrow flooded his senses but he forced himself to remain focused. He was a butler of the Phantomhive household now and he had to act the part diligently; until the very end.

Letting Bard out of the carriage, Sebastian led the man into the mansion; waiting for them in the foyer was Mey-Rin, Finnian and Tanaka; and up on the staircase stood their teenage master himself.

"Sebastian, you are back already I see." The teen called across to him, "And I presume that this is the man I sent you to get."

"Yes, My Lord, this is Bard and he has consented to join the servant's ranks as the chef." The dark haired male replied and an inclination of his head.

"I see... Ensure he is shown to the room he will be sharing with Tanaka and Finny and present him with his uniform."

"Understood."

With those few words, Ciel turned and continued up the stairs towards his study and Sebastian turned to the blonde haired male, "Well then, follow me."

By the time Sebastian had finished filling Bard in on the protocols of a servant's life, showing him around the mansion, presenting him with a uniform and giving him a few times on how to cook a few basic recipes, he was more than exhausted.

He wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with Claude and fall asleep for a century or two. Alas it was impossible to do so.

Sebastian closed and locked his bedroom door behind him and sighed softly as he stripped off his butler's attire and folded it neatly before laying it to rest in his wash basket. He pulled on a pair of loose fitting cotton pyjama pants and climbed into bed.

Yawning, he was about to blow out the candles when he saw a small silver locket on the table. Grabbing it, he looked it over and recognised the scent which coated the metal to be Claude's. A gift for him? Happily, he clipped the chain around his neck, knowing it was long enough to conceal beneath his shirt come morning.

He blew out the candles and laid down, pulling the bed covers up around his neck he sought Claude through their tangible mental link and sensed to his own satisfaction that Claude was fine and missing him just as much as he was missing Claude.

He fell asleep soon after.

It was one O'clock in the morning when Sebastian was woken suddenly by the feeling of someone entering the human world from the Hell Plains. Sitting bolt upright in bed, he felt a shudder run through his body and got out of the bed. Lighting the candles on his bedside once again he lifted he stick they were attached to and made a swift sweep of his own bedroom.

His gaze halted suddenly as his amber eyes fixed upon a figure in the most shadowed corner of his room, an unnatural, false shadow at that. His dark eyebrows furrowed and he lifted the candles higher and illuminated that, the darkest of corners.

Sebastian's breath was knocked from him suddenly and he stared, his hand tightening around the silver candle holder, "You haven't aged a day... Duke."

No longer able to hide, the man who had once escorted an adolescent Sebastian Michaelis to the Hell Plains for the first time, straightened up and walked towards him. He offered a curt bow to him before a feral smirk etched across his face.

"The same could not be said for your, Sebastian-sama." The other demon replied.

"I am half human, aging is to be expected," he murmured, "Why are you here?"

Duke sighed and sat on the end of Sebastian's bed, crossing one leg over the other, "My Master has ordered that you return to his household immediately. As a matter of the utmost importance."

Another frown marred the amber eyed man's face, "_Ordered_? I do not follow his orders, nor do I bow to second hand messages. If he wants to talk to me let him do it himself or not at all. It has taken him long enough to finally remember who I am."

"My goodness you have grown impertinent." Duke growled, "You were such a cute little child where did that disappear to?"

"It disappeared when I lost my memories and had no one to claim me." He growled in response, his amber eyes bleeding through with pink and black.

There was an awkward silence for a moment before his former guide sighed, "While you had no memories we could not track you down, your demonic powers were dormant and we had no means to find you, but I assure you not a day has passed that he has not worried about you."

"I see..." he paused and sighed, folding his arms, "Why am I being ordered back there?"

"Because you are in danger," He shrugged, "I personally think that you can handle yourself but he is not so sure. You never got to finish your demonic training and now that you have recovered all of your former strength you need to complete it so that you don't end up killing someone by accident."

"And the danger you speak of is my inability to control my power?" Sebastian asked.

"If only I were so." Duke sighed and hung his head for a moment, "The boy who stole you from the Hell Plains when the War broke out..."

"Ash, he's an Angel with demented desires on my body... Yes I know him." He interrupted.

"You have... Seen him again? Recently?"

"He kidnapped me from a village about two... Three weeks ago. And he appeared at..." he paused suddenly and cleared his throat, "He is the Queen's Butler."

"I see..." Duke's eyes were a little wider for the information and he tapped a finger to his lips for a moment before he stood up and walked over, "Ash is a dangerous foe, descended from _that_ by divine blood."

"_That_?" Sebastian paused, "You mean Ash is a direct blood descendant of _God_?"

"Exactly." He shuddered slightly, "If he has made a stake on your body... On you, then we need to get you to safety."

"I cannot leave."

Sebastian turned away from him sharply, "I have evaded him this long, escaped his trap and continued living. I have duties to attend to here and reasons that denote I cannot leave. I am contracted to a human child."

Duke raised an eyebrow and reached out, resting a hand on the other's back, "I don't think you understand Sebastian-sama... My Master's word is my law; if he orders me to return you to him then I shall do so."

Before Sebastian could turn or speak again, a hand clasped around one of his, the hand which housed his contract mark in fact. He felt a searing pain shoot through his body and his legs gave out, he watched as the mark faded slowly before disappearing entirely. His eyes flickered pink before returning amber as he slumped.

Duke sighed and picked the unconscious demon up, "If you had only agreed... I would not have had to resort to such a drastic measure as breaking your contract... You always were stubborn however. Much like my Master I suppose..."

With that, Duke turned on the spot and used his power of teleportation to take them home.

It was nine O'clock in the morning by the time young Ciel Phantomhive woke, which was most unusual considering he always had Sebastian wake him at dawn.

Sitting up in bed and yawned widely and ruffled his hair out of his eyes. Frowning slightly and pushed the covers back and stepped into his slippers, intending to go and find his unruly butler and reprimand him.

However, he never reached his bedroom door; he was stopped when he walked past his mirror by a most startling sight. As he turned and looked at it properly he saw to his own astonishment then his contract mark, the pentagram that had been encrusted on his right eye was gone. Completely vanished. Instead of the strange purple hue it had taken on while the contract mark had been there had also gone and both of his eyes were now deep blue once again.

What did that mean? Where was Sebastian? Why was the mark gone?

He only knew of one person who could possibly give him the answers to the questions he needed.

And so, summoning Tanaka to see to him, he made ready for a trip to the Trancy Estate.

_**To be continued...**_


	13. His Butler, Parenting

**Thank you for your continued support with this story! I hope you continue to enjoy the plot :)**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

The first thing he was aware of was the blissful warmth of heated blankets smothering his, apparently, semi–nude body like long lost comforters and upon rolling onto his side he felt the wistful gaze of a worrying parent on him, followed by a gentle touch on his forehead to calm him in sleep and to see if he was perhaps any closer to waking.

It had the desired effect, his light amber eyes scrunched tightly shut for a moment before opening slowly to reveal the concerned face of a handsome man. Sebastian recognised him instantly, what with his darker amber eyes; alabaster skin and black feathered hair, his expression was celestial and calm, both open and cautious at the same time. A scar painted the left side of his face, it was long and thin, striking from his forehead and down over his left eye, stopping just beneath on the fleshy skin of his cheek, and yet it didn't mar his attractiveness in anyway. If anything it increased his mysteriousness.

"Father." Sebastian stated quietly.

"Hello my son." Leviathan replied in an equally soft tone.

The younger of the two swallowed, "Send me back right now! I do not need to be babied by you any longer! I can look after myself!" inexplicable anger tainted his words and made them sound bitter.

"I cannot do that while Ash is on the loose. He is the son of God and therefore more dangerous than any other Angel... On top of that his power and position has driven him to insanity, a new level of insanity which has disgusted even his own brethren."

Sebastian faltered and looked down, recalling the maddened look in Ash's eyes when he had last seen him. Was it really as dangerous as his Father was making it out to be?

"I still need to return to the mansion." He said after a few moments of quiet contemplation, "I was contracted to a human and should never have had to leave his side. On top of that I have a friend in the Human World who will be worried that I have simply disappeared."

"I am sorry that you were taken against your will but you must understand that as long as Ash has designs on your persons I must keep you safe, you are my son and heir after all and on top of that I haven't seen your since you were ten years old, it is a long time." The older man told him, reaching across and resting his hand on his son's forearm, "I would have sought you out sooner but because your demonic powers had been sealed away due to yur amnesia I could not locate or sense your presence anywhere. Only when your powers reawakened was I able to locate you."

"When I was contracted to Ciel." He realised.

Leviathan nodded once in the affirmative, "Correct, had you not accepted the contract I would still be none the wiser to where you were."

He laid back against the plump pillows and released a long breath, this was so much to take in again; he was slightly daunted by the feeling of immense comfort he was experiencing at the knowledge that he was **home**.

"You said you had a friend in the Human World? Perhaps I can get word to them for you?" the Demon King offered, "Are they a demon?"

"Oh..." his cheeks flushed ever so slightly at the thought of his Father talking in any way to his life-mate, "Yes he is a demon..." he confirmed, "Claude Faustus."

"Claude Faustus?! Please tell me you are not friends with that creature!"

Worlds apart, back on the mortal plain Ciel Phantomhive's carriage had just pulled up outside of the Trancy mansion. Thompson hastened down to the carriage and opened the door for the young Earl and proffered his arm to help him down.

Ciel stared at the small butler for a moment before accepting his help and touching down on the pale gravel ground. He brushed himself down and looked around at the mansion curiously for a few moments before he walked with the Trancy servant into the mansion.

They were greeted in the foyer by the sight of Alois bouncing around with a rose between his pert lips and a stern looking Claude, stood stiffly to attention beside the staircase.

"Ciel!" the blonde child ceased his limitless and fraught prancing as soon as he clapped eyes on his fellow Earl, "I didn't know you were visiting!"

"I am not here to be polite with you Alois Trancy!" he barked in response as he shed his cloak and top hat, shaking his hair from his face.

"Pardon my insolence to ask, but where is Sebastian?" Claude asked from his place by the stairs.

"Missing." Ciel retorted and brushed his mindless fringe from his eyes, "Look! My contract mark is gone! I order Sebastian to wake me at dawn each day but this morning I woke at a ridiculous time alone! I searched the mansion high and low but Sebastian was not there and would not answer my calls."

Claude's eyes glinted with sudden concern and he stared at the other Earl for several long moments, Sebastian was missing? He would never abandon Ciel without warning! Something wasn't right here...

"Why don't we go to the lounge where we can talk more comfortably, Ciel." Alois offered with a smile, he held out a hand and wriggled his fingers at him, gesturing him closer.

"Only if you agree up front to help me find out what happened to Sebastian."

"Of course." The blonde replied with an easy going shrug.

Reluctantly, but not wholly, he took the offered hand and allowed himself to be dragged by the overenthusiastic blonde boy. He gritted his teeth as he was yanked around by his arm but forced himself to contain his temper for the sake of relocating his missing in action butler.

They arrived at the lounge and Ciel was half thrown into a seat; he watched as Alois plopped down onto the two seat sofa opposite him and the same moment Claude arrived and flourished a tray of tea and cake.

Alois picked up his cup and added several dollops of sugar lumps to it before sipping and nodding at Claude, "You can go now."

"Alois, I was hoping your butler might stay." Ciel interjected, "You see, I believe Sebastian was taken by another demon and considering that your own butler is a demon he might be able to help me."

"Oh... Well alright then." Alois shrugged, feeling put out that he wouldn't have the other Earl all to himself.

Claude glanced between them for a moment before he perched on the edge of another chair and looked at the Phantomhive Earl, "How can I be of service?"

"Did you sense anything last night? Anything different to normal I mean?"

"Well... There was a fluctuation of demonic energy but that isn't particularly unusual... Demons often come and go at random between this world and our own." He paused and touched his glasses thoughtfully, "Now I consider it the fluctuation was very close to your mansion, I had not considered it important before because of Sebastian's own presence there."

"So there was another demon near my home?" the Earl asked.

The other demon nodded, "I could easily come to that conclusion yes."

The Earl sat back and sipped his tea for a moment as he considered this new information, Sebastian wouldn't have simply left him without a fight; he had sworn his allegiance to him and to him alone so why had he disappeared? Was it to do with the second demon that had been near his home last night? Has Sebastian been kidnapped? If so then why?

"We need to find out who took him and get him back." He said simply after a moment of contemplation.

Claude glanced at his master before looking back at Ciel, "I agree."

Alois pouted behind his cup and rolled his eyes at how concerned they were after this one butler, "Well _how_ are we meant to find him now?"

"I can sense him. Faintly but it is there." Claude piped up, "If we were to go to the Hell Plains it would strengthen enough for me to track him down."

"Then we have to go!" Ciel exclaimed.

"Unfortunately it is not that simple." The butler shook his head, "While a demon is under contract he cannot travel between worlds. In order to get there, we will need to use a portal, erected by a third party."

"Well... Where can we find one of those? Have you got any demon friends who aren't under contract?"

"No," he said with a simple bluntness, "But... I do know of someone who might be able to help. If you would be willing to take a trip into town with me that is?"

"Of course."

It was only a short while after that, Ciel and Alois were both on Claude's broad back and were travelling at supernatural speeds into London city centre; without a break in pace Claude mounted rooftops and descended into the lowest valleys of the streets.

Ciel, more astute and observational than Alois who was clinging to his butler and hiding his face, could feel the tension in the demon's shoulders and he wondered if it was because of Sebastian's disappearance. Sebastian, himself, had accidently let slip several pieces of information concerning his personal relationship with Claude and he knew that his butler cared for the golden eyed demon more than in the way of mere friends. Hmm, he would have to have a long and lengthy discussion with Mister Claude Faustus before he let him anywhere near Sebastian when this was over.

In a sudden gush of wind they came to a dead stop outside of a back alley store, Ciel cast a gaze over the front of the shop and felt his expression deadpan in disbelief. Even Claude knew about this place? Somehow that seemed strange to him.

The large sign above the shop read:

**Undertaker**

Claude cleared his throat and glanced at the two teenage boys before he walked up to the door, knocked firmly and pushed it open. Ciel glanced around, looking for the mysterious; silver haired man who owned the building.

"Are you here, Undertaker?" he called out, unable to locate the man with his own two eyes.

There was a daunting creek as the lids of one of the coffins clapped onto the concrete flooring to reveal the black clad man who had been snoozing within. With an auspicious giggle which sent shivers down Alois's spine, Undertaker exhumed himself from the wooden casket and his heeled shoes clattered against the floor as he tottered over to the little huddle in his home.

"Earl Trancy, Claude Faustus, how pleasant of you to pay a humble shop owner as me a visit!" he exclaimed, his high pitched tones causing Alois to cringe away from him.

"Undertaker..." Ciel murmured with a darkened expression, "You know these two as well?"

"Ah, little Earl Phantomhive, where is your butler? He is so talented at bestowing the very best of laughs on me... Alas he appears not to be present." The silver haired male ran his long black nails down the side of his slightly scarred face.

The Phantomhive heir merely rolled his eyes, "Sebastian's absence is our reason for being present Undertaker."

"Oh-hoh?"

"We need a gateway to the Hell Plains, Undertaker," Claude interrupted with a gracious bow in Ciel's direction, "I know you have the power to open the gateway."

The white haired man tipped his head to the side for a moment and considered the proposition, "I can do that! But it will cost you the greatest of laughs and– Argh!"

They watched in surprise as the Undertaker was smartly hit around the back of the head and knocked to the floor by a vibrantly dressed man with long, luxurious locks of scarlet hair.

Claude walked forwards and gawped unattractively at the redhead whom had seated himself on the Undertaker's back. He recognised him from the woods when Ash had taken Sebastian from him; he remembered him to be a Shinigami. So what the _hell_ was he doing in Undertaker's shop?!

"Ah, on second thoughts... This time my help is for free." The man smiled contemplatively.

Grell looked down at the white haired man in disapproval but smiled as he said he would help for free. He stood up and danced off, sitting pertly on one of the coffin lids, crossing one leg over the other, "I will come with you!"

"I think not." Claude rebuked quickly, "You will cause trouble, many demons are not as civilised as me or Sebastian and they would take you without restraint."

"Take me?!" the redhead exclaimed.

"Indeed... The greatest game a demon will play is one of pleasure and sex. Any demon which found you attractive would also find you easy prey, to kidnap and rape as they pleased." The golden eyed demon spoke plain truths, as cold and cutting as they were.

Grell paled for a moment before looking around as the gentle touch of Undertaker's hand on his shoulder calmed him enormously, "I shall be coming as well Grell, you need not be concerned."

The redhead's cheeks flushed at the tenderness of the Undertaker's words and offered the older man a shy smile before clearing his throat, "I would still like to help rescue Sebastian, for I have heard so much about him and seen him only once, I must admit I am curious to meet this half human, half demon properly."

Claude simply rolled his eyes and looked away from them, his large hands hidden inside his pockets, "Can we get going as soon as possible? I am eager to ensure that he is in no way harmed."

"Of course."

Undertaker walked through to the back of his shop, leaving the door open for his guests to join him through. He positioned two large black statues of gargoyles opposite each other and stood back, flourishing a large black scythe from nowhere; he cut through the space between the two statues and a ripple of energy filled the room. A fiery portal opened up in the space between the two gargoyles and beyond could be seen a faint outline of blackened buildings.

Looking around at the others who had finally followed him, he smiled an insane grin at them, "Beyond here is the Hell Plains. If you will follow me I shall lead us to the Demon world."

Ciel glanced at Claude for a moment, "You had better make sure we reach Sebastian in one piece." He growled dangerously.

"I give you my word, we will find Sebastian and we will return without getting injured." The golden eyed demon replied calmly before striding forward with confident steps into the portal.

Dropping his head into his hands, Sebastian groaned silently as he listened to his Father and Duke exchanging words concerning him. His boredom was limitless and he longed to see Claude again, he missed his life mate greatly.

Sitting bolt upright in his chair suddenly, he looked around frantically like a rabbit in headlights, sensing Claude's aura as it suddenly appeared in the Hell Plains. His life mate had come for him!

_**To be continued...**_


	14. His Butler, Training

**Thank you for your continued support and patience with this story, I hope you continue to enjoy it!**

**P.S: Happy New Year to you all!**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Sebastian's amber eyes widened as he sensed Claude's aura suddenly appear in the Hell Plains, his emotions soaring high as he realised that his mate had come for him. His concerns grew however as he considered what his Father might do if he found out that he had already Bonded with someone, and he worried even further considering his Father's reaction to Claude's name earlier on that day.

His emotional high plummeted abruptly and his face fell, his neat eyebrows knitting together slightly as a soft sigh escaped him. It was only then that he realised the other two demons in the room had fallen silent and were looking at him.

He swallowed and sat up straight, looking back at them with raised eyebrows, "Problem?" he asked.

Leviathan sighed in response to his son's bluntness, noting that he clearly needed more work on his etiquette before he was let loose on the Council, "Your demonic aura jumped for a moment, I was apprehensive that something was wrong." The older amber eyed demon murmured.

His eyes widened slightly before he licked his lips, "It's nothing. If it's alright with you both I would like to continue my training now, I feel as though I should complete it as soon as possible so that I can return to the Human world without you being worried that Ash will hurt me."

Duke glanced at his Master for a moment before he stood up slowly, "Come with me, I have a special room prepared for us to train in, Sebastian-sama."

The younger demon nodded once and got to his feet as well, inclining his head to his Father before he followed Duke from the room, determined that he would be ready for when Claude reached the Estate. He wouldn't be a burden.

Leviathan watched his son leave the room before he stood as well, walking over to the floor to ceiling window, he glanced out at the darkening red sky; his eyes narrowing faintly as pink and black bled into them. Sebastian's reaction when Claude Faustus's aura had appeared suddenly had not been missed by the Demon King; it made him curious, and just a little agitated. Why had his son reacted like that?

He would have to find out. And quickly, judging by the speed at which Claude's aura was moving towards their home.

Ciel winced under the chill of the black sun; his blue eyes turned skywards and widened as he observed the blood red sky above them, highlighted by the odd black cloud and black sun. A shudder ran through him and he looked around hastily as Alois, Undertaker and Grell arrived just behind him. Turning his gaze forwards again he looked at Claude.

The butler had his head thrown back, his eyes open, and his glasses discarded as he observed the sky, his usually golden eyes were vibrant pink, the colour of a demon's eyes. Ciel recognised them from when Sebastian's turned the same colour.

"Do you sense Sebastian yet?" Alois asked, clearly unnerved by the unnatural appearance of the world around them.

"Yes, Your Highness." The demon replied and looked towards them, his eyes returning to their usual golden hue, "I will lead the way, please stay close to me, and should another demon look at you, make eye contact with him, and do not speak. The moment you break eye contact with him or her, will be the moment you die. The moment you speak will be the moment they gain control over you and can influence your actions. Beware, my natural presence will ward some of the weaker and lower level demons away, but those who are of the same strength level as me, or stronger than me, may still approach."

Ciel nodded once and started walking with the demon butler, Alois stuck close to his side and Grell and Undertaker were bringing up the rear of their little troop.

They had arrived in the outskirts of a forest, and the further they walked away from it, the closer they came to habitation. Tense from Claude's warning they stayed quiet as they walked and their eyes darted around with no control, looking for any demons who would dare to approach them.

They had just begun to ascend a rather large hill, passed some elaborate buildings which appeared to have been constructed out of both light and dark marble, when a tall _creature_ which had the legs of a man; the feet of a large cat; the tail of a Siberian Husky and the head of a large raven. It's eyes were beady and blood red, like the sky above them only... More evil.

Without a doubt, this was a demon. Ciel, without thinking, reached out and grabbed Alois's wrist and pulled the blonde closer to his body. He lifted his gaze and looked directly at the bird headed demon, and as their eyes met he realised why Claude's words had been so important. There was a cold chill which ran through him and cooled him to his very bones, before his skin suddenly felt unbelievably hot. Like he was running through a burning building.

His teeth clenched, but he continued to shield Alois behind his own body, out of instinct or compassion he didn't much care but he could feel the blonde trembling at the sight of the demon and he didn't like that Alois was scared, so he kept utter concentration and fixed his eyes on those of the bird demon's, not moving or blinking, even as his eyes began to water in reaction.

Immediately, Claude appeared in front of him, cutting off his staring contest and leaving him feeling somewhat weak and wobbly.

"Kindly avert your gaze, Bird." The demonic butler's voice was calm and controlled, his own now pink and black eyes fixed with the red ones of the other demon, "They are not for you to play with."

"Not even one of 'em?" the other spoke with a tone of voice which somewhat reminded Ciel of water, "A _lucky_ bastard yar, ta 'ave such juicy lookin' humans wit' ya."

"Indeed, however that makes me the lucky one and you the inconvenience. If you wish to try and take one of these children from me, I shall kill you and send you to the Seventh Plain."

A low hiss was released from the bird headed creature before he merely huffed and continued walking without a second glance.

Ciel swallowed and licked his lips, looking up at the butler, "What's the Seventh Plain?" he asked.

"Demons cannot be killed by mortal weapons; we resurrect and regenerate what is lost and return within days," Claude said as he turned to face them, "So what do you presume happens when we are killed by _non_-human weapons?"

"Uh... I don't know..." Ciel replied with a frown.

"There is a hell within hell." Undertaker called over, his usual manic smile no longer present, "The Hell Plains, where we stand, is the home of all demons and the human souls which they steal, plunder or earn through contracts. But when a demon is killed by another demon, or by an Angel or Shinigami, there is somewhere else that they go. The souls which they have devoured are released and are _forgiven_ by God, they are then blessed and go on to Heaven, purged of their hatred and evils. But the demons, they go somewhere else... Somewhere darker, and that place is called the Seventh Plain."

"You know much of our culture, Undertaker," Claude commented, "However you are correct. When we are killed by another immortal, we go to the Seventh Plain, which is a place of fire and everlasting pain. No demon desires to go there, so much so that they were willing to risk a truce with the Angels around ten years ago."

"Angels and Demons... Under a truce?" Alois piped up, his former fear slowly ebbing away in the wake of curiosity, "Isn't that a little... A little..."

"Complicated." Claude finished, "Yes. Very. And it would seem, now more than ever, that the complications are growing, considering a certain Angel's certain recent actions against a certain half-demon half-human."

"Sebastian Michaelis." Undertaker half purred, "A lot of people are very interested about him... I can see why."

"Huh?" Ciel frowned again.

"It doesn't matter at the moment." Claude murmured, "What matters is that we get him home, quickly."

Nodding in agreement, they began walking again, at a much faster pace than before.

As they went along, the houses got grander and grander in appearance, the marble which they were created from grew whiter and whiter, which seemed somewhat odd to Ciel who pictured demons to relish darkness and shied away from the light. Considering that though, he had noticed that Sebastian quite liked the sunlight.

"Originally, demons lingered in the darkness of light. However, since Leviathan, King of Demons took over the ruler ship of the Hell Plains things have greatly improved for everyone here. We no longer fear the light, we revel in it. And when night falls we party." Claude chuckled humourlessly, "But in truth... Is it not the humans who relish darkness? The temptation? The attraction? The inquisitiveness?"

"How did you know what I was-"

"I can see it on your face." Claude replied softly, "Let us consider for a moment that what I say is true... Would it not be humans like you and Alois who shy away from the light? You live with the darkness inside of your very soul, which is what attracts us to your kind and your age group. You are _**so**_ dark... And yet _**so**_ _**very**_ innocent."

"That way of speaking..." Ciel crinkled his nose, "Is disgusting."

"I am a demon. It is my nature to consider you humans as snacks." The butler shrugged simply.

Ciel looked at Alois, curious of his reaction to his butler's words, and he was surprised to see a look of deep contemplation on the blonde's face, his brows knitted together in deep concentration. Interesting.

"One more thing, Ciel Phantomhive," Claude smirked on the inside, "These houses. They aren't made from marble. It is bone."

Ciel's eyes widened and he looked at the houses again, "How?! There are so many... So many..."

"And how many humans do you think have fallen in to sin?" Claude asked with a raised eyebrow as he turned to face him, "More than enough to craft an entire world out of bone. That much I can tell you with confidence."

Sebastian was panting hard, leaning against the stone wall of the training room which Duke and Leviathan had prepared for him; sweat rolled down the side of his face and his usually pale skin was flushed with the strains of exertion.

However, across the room from him, Duke was still stood tall and was unaffected by the strains he was feeling; Sebastian would always tire first because of his half-human status, but he could at least build up his stamina so that he didn't collapse right in the middle of a battle.

The amber eyed male pushed away from the wall and staggered back towards the middle of the room; raising his fists once more as he prepared for Duke to attack him. He allowed his demonic powers to seep through and his eyes turned pink and black.

They clashed in a flurry of fists and feet, throwing punches and flicking kicks around. The only sound which filled the room was that of punches connecting and Sebastian's ragged breathing.

Sebastian faltered momentarily as he felt a flare in Claude's aura and in that moment he was flipped onto his front and planted on the floor with his arms twisted up behind his back.

"You are too easily distracted Sebastian!" Duke snapped, "If this was a real fight then you would be dead now!"

"I know, I know." The younger said with a sigh, "Let me up already."

"Are you even taking this seriously?"

"What? Of course I am!" Sebastian growled as his eyes narrowed.

"Really? It doesn't seem like it; you are holding back and you aren't focusing." Duke stood back slowly and looked down at him, "I don't think you really care about getting stronger at all."

Sebastian rolled over onto his back and did a small flip so that he was stood up again; he glared at him and balled his fists, "I do want to be stronger; I don't want to be a burden or a concern to my Father or my friend in the human world. I want to be able to look after myself!" he exclaimed.

"Then prove it!" Duke growled back at him.

The amber eyed demon clenched his teeth and his eyes narrowed at him, "Fine. You want me to act serious? Fine. I'll be serious, but don't blame me if you end up in several different pieces!" he hissed.

Sebastian pulled his shirt off and threw it aside before he balled his fists and allowed his demonic powers to seep out; his eyes darkened in their shade of pink and his skin paled even further than usual, he bared his teeth and felt a dull ache resonate along his top jaw as his canines lengthened slightly to form fangs which gently nudged his upper lip out slightly. His shadow flared and grew, flickering with an ethereal green-blue mist.

Duke's eyebrows raised slightly, he had never expected Sebastian's demonic powers to be quite so developed as they seemed to be.

The younger male stretched his fingers out as his nails grew and sharpened at the tips. He rolled his shoulders as they began to heat up before his black feathered wings began to grow, stretching out of his shoulder blades like two dark canopies.

Duke's eyes nearly popped out as he saw his wings and his mouth went dry, demons... Demons didn't have wings. Demons were bound to the Earth while Angels soared in the sky on pure wings. Sebastian... Sebastian shouldn't have had wings!

His thought train cut off as Sebastian disappeared, reappearing in front of him and hurling a kick into his gut; sending him flying back into the far wall. He crumpled, but stood again quickly as he dodged a secondary attack by Sebastian's and returned with several short; sharp jabs with his fists. He faltered when he realised they barely tickled Sebastian's abdomen and chest.

His head snapped around as he was back handed and he felt the sting of a cut in his cheek from the other's claw like nails. He ducked another kick and jumped over his head, flipping back several paces before he allowed his own demon powers to leak out as he shimmered and transformed into his true form.

With the head and tail of an albino lion, his arms and legs turned leathers and his nails turned to claws. His eyes remained pink and black in the face of his lion form and he crouched on all fours, his tail swishing behind him angrily.

He would have to suppress Sebastian and teach him to control this demonic power quickly, and then he would have to have a very serious conversation with Leviathan about how demons got wings.

Streaking forwards with an age old speed, he knocked Sebastian's legs out from under him and pinned him down, roaring in his face and snapping his teeth shut around his throat to keep him in place.

Sebastian hissed and kicked his feet restlessly as he was pinned down before he gasped as a sharp pain shot through his body and forced his demonic powers back. He slumped against the floor and winced as Duke released him slowly.

"That's enough for today." Duke said quietly, "Go back to your room for now. Someone will bring you some dinner in a short while."

The amber eyed male frowned at him, "Why? You wanted me to get serious so I did... Why are you acting like something is wrong?"

His eyes narrowed very slightly, but not so much that it was noticeable to an untrained eye, "I'm not. I just remembered that I have an extremely important meeting to attend with my Master."

"Oh... Alright then." He sighed and turned away, walking off slightly sulkily.

Duke licked his lips thoughtfully for a moment before he hastened out of the room after Sebastian and hurried towards Leviathan's office where he sensed the man's aura waiting for him.

This was going to be an educational conversation.

_**To be continued...**_


	15. His Butler, Truth Be Told

**Chapter Fifteen:**

Duke stood opposite his master and folded his arms, now returned to his humane form as he observed the Demon King as the man in question stared out of the window unseeingly, "My Master, please answer my question. How does Sebastian-sama have the blackened wings of an Angel?" he repeated, his impatience growing the longer the other stared.

Leviathan sighed heavily and rested his chin on his palm as he contemplated his answer, unsure whether he should lie or not, "His mother." He murmured after a moment.

"What?"

"You know I had another child by the female head of one of the old Demonic bloodlines... I found no one particularly attractive after her death and later the death of my child. However, when I gazed upon Sebastian's mother for the first time I was captivated by her beauty and her personality. She was... She _is_ an Angel cast down to Earth for the crime of loving a mortal. Her blood runs through Sebastian's veins and gives him abilities beyond those of an ordinary demon."

His eyes widened and his jaw slackened, "You... You bedded a Fallen Angel and impregnated her?!"

Rolling his eyes, the Demon King turned his back on Duke, "I did, and I fell in love with her, as she did with me. She remains only with her husband; Sebastian's step-father because she had no other choice. She has two other children by that man and he uses them as weapons against her. Tch, the venom I feel for that man cannot be contemplated by meagre words. And I believe Sebastian shares my views concerning him, for he was shunned for being a bastard child, and the product of his wife's affair."

"That... That is hardly a good reason!" he exclaimed suddenly, "Do you even know what effects this mixing of blood will have on Sebastian?!"

Leviathan growled under his breath and waited a moment so he could calm down before he spoke next, "I have studied it since he moment I discovered of his existence; why do you think I insisted that he come here to study when he reached ten? I needed to see with my own two eyes what sort of effect his blood would have upon his life. And thus far there has been no effect so to speak. He had been able to blend among the Humans and remained undetected until now. He will grow stronger, his latent powers will emerge, and eventually he will be ready to rule in my stead when such a time comes to pass. But first and foremost I need you to continue trusting me as you have always done."

Looking down in the wake of his words, words which were clearly meant as a scorn, "I... I will always trust you Master, however I am concerned for Sebastian-sama's safety more than anything. What if something happens to him?"

"Then I will mourn the loss of my only son, and feel overwhelming guilt that I brought such a fate upon him." He looked around at him slowly, "I will do everything in my power to ensure that Sebastian remains safe and unharmed, even if it means fighting myself. He is MY son and I will not let anyone harm him."

Duke sighed softly and sat down slowly, "Does he know?"

"Of course not. I don't want to ruin his image of his mother just for the sake of replacing it with another, it would do nothing other than confuse him." He looked down for a moment, "I try not to doubt my decisions, and I do not for a moment regret Sebastian's conceiving however perhaps there might have been a better time to get intimate with a Fallen Angel than when things were getting discourteous between our kind and her kind."

The amber eyed demon lord sighed heavily and stood up, he paced for a moment before he smiled weakly, "At the very least, Ash has no hold over Sebastian, even less so when his powers fully emerge. So he is safer from that cretin than he was before."

"But Ash is not the sort to simply give up. He will resort to all kinds of crimes in order to get what he desires. I fear that Sebastian-sama will never truly be free from him unless he is dead." Duke murmured softly, folding his arms with a huff.

"I know, and I agree, which is why I intend to deal with that maniac as soon as a chance presents itself. I have several of our best trackers in the Human Worlds tracing his movements." Leviathan rubbed his forehead, "As soon as they locate him they are to request assistance from our hunters and they will dispatch him before he can flee."

"A fair plan."

Duke remained silent for several minutes before he cleared his throat, "There was one other problem I noticed while we were sparring."

"Oh? What was it this time?"

"He has a mark on the base of his neck." He began tersely, "It's shaped like a wing and there is a slight residual Demonic energy covering it. I... Believe it is a Bonding mark."

"A..." he paused and looked at him, "Please tell me you are joking!"

"No. I believe Sebastian-sama has _Bonded_ with another demon, most plausibly during his time in the Human World considering he has barely seen another soul since his arrival here." The subordinate hung his head, "What do you plan to do about it, Master?"

"That boy-" he broke off and let out a long and calming breath, hardly able to believe that his cute son; his son and heir had somehow _Bonded_ to another demon... Without his permission! Who was it? Who was this demon who had dared to defile his son? If they had hurt him in the process he would bring them a swift but painful death... And it was likely that he would kill the lecher regardless of Sebastian's opinion of the matter. No one was permitted to touch a member of the Royal Family lest they go through the proper courting measures and...

"Sebastian is a gentle soul isn't he?" he asked his subordinate and good friend suddenly.

"Yes, he detests violence and only resorts to it when he has no other option. Why?"

"... So gentle that he might value the meaning of _love_?"

"L-Love?" Duke repeated before it dawned on him, "You think that he would submit himself to the Third Method of Demonic Attraction without fully understanding the consequences of his actions?"

"He is a brash child; kind and caring but brazen and foolhardy both." He sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Just like his Father."

"You are brash?"

"I was once, when I was about his age." He murmured.

"But you didn't go off and get _Bonded_ together with some practical stranger, did you?"

"Indeed I did not." Leviathan paced slowly and paused as he looked out of the window, "However, I have some ideas now as to whom he might have given himself to, and I am _not_ happy with it."

"Who do you believe it is, Master?"

"The Faustus family's youngest."

"Claude?"

"Indeed. If I recall correctly, Sebastian called that... _Spider_ a friend when he first woke up. Claude has a very aggressive and arrogant personality, inherited from his family; for Sebastian to have found any intrigue in that man I would be amazed, but then Sebastian is a rare case as well I suppose."

"But if there is a joining between your house and theirs..."

"There will not be." He interrupted, "I will ask Sebastian about this directly, and if he is adamant about this _Bonding_ then I will tell him why I am against it; it will be for him to decide what he does with his information."

"A very wise choice, Master."

With a curt nod, Leviathan left his office - trusting Duke to return to his usual duties and to ensure the other servants stayed away from Sebastian's room for a while - as he headed towards his son's demonic aura.

He paused outside of the room and knocked gently before pushing open the door and stepping inside silently as he observed his son lounging in the purple velvet lounge seat by the window.

"Is he getting closer?" he asked as he walked over and sat by his son's feet on the seat and glanced out of the window.

"W-Who do you mean?" Sebastian murmured, looking at his Father uncertainly.

"Claude Faustus of course, your _friend_." He answered, "He is coming to find you, isn't he?"  
"I... I think so, yes." He sighed and looked back out of the window, "I can sense his approach, I think he is about forty minutes away."

"And you can sense this... Because you _Bonded_ with him?"

Sebastian's paler amber eyes widened slightly and he paled, "F-Father..."

"So it is him." He sighed, "Duke saw the mark on the base of your neck while you were sparring."

Gulping, the younger man hung his head, "I... It is true, I did _Bond_ with him. When I discovered that he was a demon some of my memories came back; he kept helping me and... He showed me a side to him that was hidden beneath an arrogant exterior." He licked his lips, "In the end... We... Became... Um... Physical and... Well... We _Bonded_."

"I see." He sighed and ignored his son's obvious embarrassment at having to discuss it, "Do you know anything of Claude's background?"

"Uh..." he faltered slightly as he realised that while his lover knew almost everything about him, he knew next to nothing about his lover.

"I take that as a no. I do not blame him for keeping it a secret; more so after he discovered your heritage."

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked with a frown.

"The Faustus Family... Tch, they are not very well liked even among the demons." He leaned back on his hand and observed his son as he spoke, "When the War broke out, they allowed the Angels into the very depths of our world without restraint, and they sided with them. It was because of that family that so many of our kind were slaughtered without mercy or control. Claude himself is the youngest child of that family with two elder siblings. However, he is no less dangerous than the rest of them. While he did not directly assist his family in permitting the Angel's presence he did nothing active to stop it from happening, despite knowing tha devastating and death it would cause."

Sebastian stared slightly and he swallowed, suddenly feeling a little sick, "He... He could have stopped all those people dying and he didn't?"

"No."

"Why wouldn't he stop them?"

"Because the Faustus Family are very close knit, had he stopped them they would have cast him out of the clan and he would have been prey for anyone strong enough to take him on." He shrugged, "Regardless, most demons would still chose to save the lives of many than of one."

"I... I don't know what to think. He never said."

Leviathan rested a hand on his head gently, "Why would he, son? Why would he tell you that when it would show him in a darker light?"

"Because he loves me, Father, he would tell me. Maybe he was waiting for the right moment."

He sighed at his son's naivety and closed his eyes for a moment, "What do you intend to do when he arrives?"

"Talk to him. And stop him killing whoever gets between me and him; after all he still thinks I have been kidnapped by an enemy, not my father." Sebastian swallowed and licked his lips, "You will make sure no one hurts him won't you?"

"I can promise nothing, but I will order the servants to stand down in case he arrives."

"Thank you."

Sebastian stood up and leaned against the windowpane, looking out and the stormy looking world beyond, "Father... Should his reasons be just would you give us your blessing?" he asked, "I do... Love him dearly, and I don't really want to have to choose between him and you."

Leviathan faltered and gritted his teeth, "It is not that simple. His father, when the War came, attempted to slay me and take my place as the ruler of this world. Again Claude did nothing to stop his father trying to strike me down. I cannot simply forgive that family for their treacherous ways. It would take a lot..."

"I see... I understand, thank you."

The younger of the two turned around and smiled slightly, "Well, if there is nothing else you desire to discuss I think I will go to the library and do some reading. After all, I must train my brain as well as my body, no?"

"Of course, you go ahead, my boy." He stood as well and walked with him to the door, leaving ahead of him before watching his son head off in the direction of the library.

He sighed heavily and returned to his office, wondering if he should have point blank refused Sebastian's requests. He reasoned that he would never be able to say no to his only son and slammed his head on the desk in frustration.

Sebastian, meanwhile, was in inner turmoil at the new information surrounding his lover's supposedly darkened past and he wondered why Claude had never addressed the issue himself. Was it as his Father said? Or was there something else to it? Some real reason that Claude was hiding this terrible truth from him.

Sitting down in the sleek leather chairs of the library with a large deerskin bound volume, entitled 'The History of the Hell Plains Volume: 1' and he sighed slightly, wondering what secrets he could uncover about Claude's family in this book... Well, it was worth a peek anyway.

Chewing his bottom lip as he pealed back the delicately bound pages, he began to read, sinking into the history of his heritage curiosity urging him on though the years of demonic existence.

Mean while, Claude had decided that they needed a break, Ciel's asthma was holding him back and without a rest he feared the teen might have an attack. They were huddled under a large tree; Grell and Undertaker were talking quietly about something relating only to them; Alois was fussing over Ciel like a star struck maid and Claude was seated up in one of the branches, making a cat's cradle out of his spider's webs as he contemplated finally being able to get _his_ Sebastian back.

He stared off into space as he considered holding the younger demon in his arms and whispering sweet nothings in his ear as he made love to him, caressing every inch of his milky white skin and staring into his jewel coloured eyes.

He held back a low moan as he felt the telltale stirring in his loins as he thought about his lover... His life mate. He wanted nothing more than to have him beside him right now and smother him with passionate kisses, despite the audience below.

A sigh escaped him and he pushed his glasses up his nose before returning his attention of the cradle between his fingers. It would not be long; he would sink his fangs and fingers into whoever tried to keep Sebastian from him, and then he would reclaim his mate and leave with him. And then, when they returned home, hell hath no fury but he would never let the man out of his sight again, no matter what Ciel or Alois thought about it.

Watching the dark sun heading towards the horizon, he slipped down off the branch and landed in front of his companions, "We should move on now, it is dangerous to linger in the streets once darkness has fallen."

"How far off are we, Claude?" Alois demanded as he helped Ciel to his feet.

"About forty minutes, your Highness."

The dark haired Earl looked up, "Is there no faster way of getting there? Anything could be happening to Sebastian."

"I am afraid not." Claude sighed, "We do not wish to draw too much attention after all, or our rescue mission may be cut off before we have reached him and then where would he be?"

"Tch... I understand." Ciel huffed and brushed himself down, "Let us be off then."


	16. His Butler, Reunited

**Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, I struggled a little bit to get going with it. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.**

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews, and my apologies for not getting around to answering them all.**

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Sebastian was woken by the gentle touch of one of the household servants; his eyes slowly flickered open as he stretched like a cat and yawned hugely. He looked up at the young woman who had stirred him from his sleep and smiled weakly.

"S-Sebastian-sama... Leviathan-sama has requested your presence. Apparently your _guest_ is close to arriving." She squeaked, her large yellow eyes staring into his tired face.

"Oh, thank you, Misaki." He replied, slowly peeling himself out of the chair and heading to put his book back.

"Allow me to do that for you, Sebastian-sama." The young lady took the book from him with a bow and placed it back on the shelf it had come from.

The dark haired young demon nodded to her once before he left the room hurriedly, eager to see Claude again as soon as possible and return home. He paused as he considered that his contract mark to Ciel had been severed and he wondered if he could reconnect it, or become contracted a second time. If that wasn't the case and their bond was broken for good, then he didn't really have a home to return to.

He frowned faintly, about to knock at his Father's office door when a spark of awareness made his skin prickle; he glanced behind him and thought for a moment he saw the figure of his mother before it was gone.

Breath hitched in his throat, Sebastian opened the office door, forgetting to knock before he headed inside and shut the door behind him, taking a breath before he turned to face his father.

"Are you alright, son? You look very pale." Leviathan frowned.

"I... Yes, just eager to see Claude." He replied quietly.

The man sighed and stood up, walking over to the window, "They will be here in ten minutes. Why don't you go and meet them? It would save them wrecking the joint."

"Thank you, Father." He inclined his head before fleeing the room.

He sprinted from the house and down the drive, passed the tall hedges which blocked the house from view and down pathway towards where he sensed Claude's aura. He skidded to a stop as he saw the dark haired demon walking in the general direction of the mansion; followed by Alois, Ciel, Grell, and Undertaker in tow.

A smile found his lips as he saw his golden eyed mate leading the way with confidence and certainty in his steps. He began walking faster before he saw Claude's eyes flick up to meet his.

Suddenly they were in front of each other, arms enclosing around each other; lips pressed snugly together as the distance they had been apart was unwound and their dormant passions rekindled.

They both forgot about their audience as they allowed their essence to entangle and comfort; pulling back for air, amber met gold as they spoke wordlessly through their eyes.

"Sebastian... Are you alright?" he asked finally.

"I'm fine." The amber eyed male replied with a nod, "Are you?"

"I will survive. Please... Explain what happened though, we have all been very worried about you." Claude murmured with a frown.

"I was... Recalled to my Father's side after he discovered Ash was on the scene again. He was stupid in his actions, but his heart was in the right place."

"Your father?" the golden eyed man tensed slightly, "Leviathan?"

"Yes." He replied with a sigh, "His overreacted but... Only so that he could protect me."

"Sorry... I hate to interrupt-" Alois's voice cut through the air, "But why the Hell were the two of you just playing kissing?!"

Claude and Sebastian froze and looked around at the blonde haired Earl; beside him was an unsurprised looking Ciel and behind them were two shocked Shinigami.

"Master Alois," Claude began before he looked at Sebastian and watched the red eyed male nod once, "We apologise for not being honest with you, but Sebastian is my lover, and I am his lover."

"Oh..." the blonde pouted for a moment, "How long have you been together?"

"Since just after he arrived at the Trancy Household." He replied, "When I first brought him to you I believed that he was a mere human, however we soon discovered that Sebastian was in fact a half-demon. And a Prince to boot."

"A... A Prince?!" Ceil exclaimed, walking towards them slowly, "I admit I suspected that Sebastian's feelings towards you were more than those of just friendship, but for him to be a prince?! Why would he lower himself to the position of my butler?!"

"He had no choice." Claude rebuked, "When you contracted him he was still a fledgling to his powers, he could not refuse your demands as I could have, or another demon could have. Now that he is more familiar with his powers, he could choose whether or not to accept the contract."

Ciel frowned slightly and looked at Sebastian for a long moment before he looked at Claude again, "We should go and meet with this Leviathan... See if he will be willing to hand Sebastian's care over to us."

Sebastian tensed slightly at the idea of Claude coming into contact with his father after their earlier discussion and he grabbed Claude's hand, "Claude... I don't think it is a very good idea for you to come in..."

"Hmm? Why ever not?" the golden eyed demon frowned faintly.

"Because..." he swallowed and looked up at him, "I... I know about your family." He said quietly, "And my Father knows about us, he... Wasn't very happy."

Claude's eyes narrowed for a moment before he let out a slight huff, "I see. Well, it has been a long time since I last laid eyes of the Demon King, and perhaps his mind can be changed once he sees that I have changed somewhat from what I once was." He cupped Sebastian's cheek, "I am not like my family. I am not a traitor."

"I..." he paused and stared back at him, "I believe you."

"I am glad."

Sighing weakly, Sebastian led them to his Father's abode, at the doors they were greeted by a couple of the household maids who took their hats and coats before Sebastian waved them off and led the way to the office where his Father was no doubt still waiting.

Knocking once before he eased the door open once again, he stepped inside, "Father, the guests have arrived." He told him and stepped aside so that the troop of mixed species could enter the elegantly decorated office.

The Demon King turned around in his seat and inspected those who had so willing come to Sebastian's rescue; he was surprised to see two Shinigami though, that had not been something he had been expecting.

"Welcome to my house," he greeted, standing up and gesturing to the seats in front of his desk before he sat back down, "And you." He looked at Claude a little coolly before sighing as his son glared at him.

As they all sat down and watched the slightly strained atmosphere between the three demons in the room, Leviathan sighed again and crossed his legs, "I assume that you wish to discuss Sebastian's presence here?"

"Yes, sir." Claude said calmly, "He has explained why he was brought here to us, however, we would like him to return with us."

"And what protect will he have in your presence? Ash could snatch him at any point and I am unwilling to risk that."

"We can keep him safe." Ciel interrupted boldly, "No harm will befall him while in our care."

"And how will you protect him? You are a human, easily killed by so many things. And as far as Sebastian has told me, Claude lives over the other side of London." The dark amber eyed lord rebuked.

Ceil faltered at this but Alois perked up with, "Well why not merge households until things are safer for Sebastian? Claude and I can go stay with Ciel, that way Claude will be on hand if Sebastian needs protecting, ne?"

Ciel looked at Alois in surprise at such a kind offer, not having expected it from the other Earl at all, "That would be fine with me also, and we have plenty of room."

Sebastian stared at the two youths and raised his eyebrows before looking at his lover with a small, shy smile; hoping his father would be swayed by this.

"I've been suspended from duty for a month by William for an accident that was _so_ not my fault." Grell sniffed, "So I can keep popping in too! Anything to see more of my darling Sebastian-chan!" Sebastian gritted his teeth and growled under his breath, causing Claude to chuckle.

Leviathan was surprised by the help being offered in order to protect his son, truth be told he was quite happy to agree and release Sebastian into their care, but he wasn't overly happy about letting his son leave without first resolving the issue of his _Bonding_ with Claude Faustus.

"Very well, you have convinced me. However, before he leaves I wish to speak with Claude and Sebastian alone."

The two demons glanced at each other and gulped at the same time.

_**To be continued...**_


End file.
